The government will likely impose heavy sanctions on AdamAir within a few days over the airline's failure to follow proper procedures during a flight last week, as clear signs of a safety violation had been found, a minister explained.

The most blatant violation was the airline's decision to continue its flight to its final destination in Makassar, even though the plane had lost communication hours earlier. The pilots had to make two emergency landings, Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa said.

"There are several facts showing that the airline has violated regulations. The ministry will definitely punish the company, including a revocation of the pilot's license," said Hatta at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday.

The Makassar-bound AdamAir Boeing 737-300 was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday at Tambulaka landing strip on Sumba island in East Nusa Tenggara. The airline said it was experiencing a malfunction of the navigation and communication systems, and the pilot, Tri Tuniogo, lost all contact with the destination airport.

Shortly after landing at Tambulaka they decided for "safety reasons" to continue the flight -- without further investigation or official approval -- to Makassar.

AdamAir spokesman Dave Laksono said the airline had decided to fly to Makassar from Tambulaka upon realizing that the Tambulaka airstrip was not secure for the plane or the passengers.

"The transportation and airport authority said that it was safe (to fly the plane)," he said, refusing to give details on who issued the permit.

Hatta said however, that AdamAir should not have even considered leaving Tambaluka airport, as it was still having navigation problems that might cause the airplane to lose its coordinates, or even crash into other objects.

Previously, the ministry's director general for air transportation M. Iksan Tatang explained that his office had never issued a flight approval for the malfunctioning plane to leave Tambulaka airport.

Separately, airline observer Dudi Sudibyo said a plane with a malfunction in its navigation system should not leave its last airport before the National Transportations Safety Committee (KNKT) was able to investigate.

He added the reason for the emergency landing itself should be questioned.

"The plane has two back-up FMS (flight management system) and two back-up communications system," he said.

In cases where a plane is having navigation and communication problems, it should have either returned to base or landed at the nearest airport.

The ministry is currently investigating AdamAir's decision fly its plane out of Tambaluka against all proper procedures.

KNKT chairman Setio Raharjo said that the committee was still finishing up its investigation on what caused the emergency landing and the plane's navigational system malfunction.