Airlines PNG Flight 4684

Airlines PNG Flight 4684

A Twin Otter similar to the aircraft involved in the incident.
Incident summary
Date 11 August 2009
Summary Controlled flight into terrain
Site Isurava, Papua New Guinea
8°53′S 147°44′E / 8.883°S 147.733°ECoordinates: 8°53′S 147°44′E / 8.883°S 147.733°E
Passengers 11
Crew 2
Fatalities 13 (all)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type Twin Otter
Operator Airlines PNG
Registration P2-MCB
Flight origin Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Destination Kokoda Airport, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

Airlines PNG Flight 4684 was a passenger flight which crashed near Kokoda Airport, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea on 11 August 2009, killing all eleven passengers and two crew.[1]

The Airlines PNG aircraft, a de Havilland Twin Otter, was travelling in bad weather, when it crashed on the eastern slope of the Kokoda Gap about 11 km south-east of Kokoda. Wreckage was discovered at 8.40am on 12 August 2009 at an altitude of 5500 feet (1676 metres) in the Owen Stanley Range.[2] The search was hampered by bad weather, low visibility and rough terrain. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. There were no survivors.

Prior to the accident the crew were manoeuvring the aircraft within the Kokoda Gap, probably in an attempt to maintain visual flight in reported cloudy conditions. The investigation concluded that the accident was probably a controlled flight into terrain: that is, an otherwise airworthy aircraft was unintentionally flown into terrain, with little or no awareness by the crew of the impending collision.[3]

Passengers

The passengers included eight Australian tourists on their way to trek the Kokoda Track, two tour guides (one Australian and one Papua New Guinean) from No Roads Expeditions tour company, and a Japanese tourist.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Kokoda plane slammed into cliff, no survivors, says PM". Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  2. ↑ "Missing Kokoda plane located: no signs of activity". Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  3. ↑ "Final accident investigation Report". Retrieved 2011-07-28.
  4. ↑ Dowsley, Anthony; Buttler, Mark (2009-08-11). "Seven Victorians go missing as plane vanishes in Papua New Guinea". news.com.au. Retrieved 2009-08-11.

External links