2016 Sunbird Aviation crash
 A Turbine Islander similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Crash summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 13 April 2016 |
| Summary | Improper loading which led to a stall |
| Site | Kiunga, Papua New Guinea |
| Passengers | 11 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 12 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander |
| Operator | Sunbird Aviation |
| Registration | P2-SBC |
| Flight origin | Tekin Airport (TKW/AYTN) |
| Destination | Kiunga Airport (UNG/AYKI) |
On 13 April 2016, a Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander operated by Sunbird Aviation crashed about 1,200 m (0.65 nmi; 0.75 mi) short of runway number 7 at Kiunga Airport[1] in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The plane had pitched up right before the crash, and then dropped its right wing and fell almost vertically to the ground.[2] Eleven passengers (including three children) and the 31 year old Australian pilot, Benjamin Picard,[3] were killed. Nine people died on impact, with other three declared dead on arrival at Kiunga Hospital.[4][5][6]
The PNG Accident Investigation Commission sent two investigators to Kiunga to investigate the crash.[7]
The investigation determined that the aircraft was loaded significantly aft of the center of gravity limit. Upon extension of the aircraft's flaps, an uncontrollable pitch up resulted in the aircraft stalling and spinning into the ground.
References
- ↑ "2016-04-13 Sunbird BN-2A Islander". Islander Crashed.
- ↑ "2016-04-13 Sunbird BN-2A Islander". Database Record.
- ↑ "Australian News". Australian News.
- ↑ "Australian pilot among 12 people killed in Papua New Guinea plane crash". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ Accident description for Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander P2-SBC near Kiunga Airport at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 13 April 2016.
- ↑ "12 perish in plane crash in Kiunga". PNG Facts.
- ↑ "Crash killed all 12: Yalo – The National".