JAKARTA. Chances are slim that the pilot of a Sukhoi Super Jet 100 plane to request to descend to 6,000 feet because of bad weather, while flying around the Mt. Salak area, says a pilots’ association.

Garuda Pilots Association chairman Stephanus Gerardus says pilots usually will fly higher to avoid bad weather.

“Logically, pilots will request to fly above the cloud to avoid bad weather below,” he said Thursday.

He said there were cases when pilots asked for permission to fly lower, but it was uncommon.

“It would’ve been very strange to request permission to descend had the pilot known there was a mountain below him,” Stephanus said.

While a defective altimeter could have been to blame, he said it was still unlikely because it was a demonstration flight aimed at promoting the product.

“They should have ensured all equipment worked well because it was a joy flight to sell the aircraft,” he said.

The Russia-made plane crashed into a hill near Mt. Salak on Wednesday afternoon with 45 passengers on board after losing contact with Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta, where it had taken off less than an hour earlier.

Shortly before dropping off radar screens, the pilot had requested permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet when flying around the mountain.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

From the photos of the plane’s wreckage, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) believes that the plane exploded after crashing into the mountain at high speed, at a nearly perpendicular angle. (The Jakarta Post)

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