Alice Budisatrijo, BBC News, Jakarta: Why were there so many civilians on board?
The Indonesian military allows relatives of servicemen and women to hitch a ride on military aircraft. The definition of relatives could be quite loose - they often include people outside the immediate family.
But the Hercules crash in Medan may have exposed a long-running operation in military air bases in Indonesia's remote areas.
People living in places like Natuna islands, where the plane was supposed to go later, are fully aware that flying with the military is a cheaper and sometimes more convenient option when they need to get somewhere.
The military denies that it is a common practice and vows to hunt down any rogue elements within the ranks who may have been involved.