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Category: <span>New Guinea</span>

Search Continues for Pilot and Crew Missing in Papua New Guinea


What: Hevilift Bell 206
Where: Mt Hagen in the PNG Southern Highlands.
When: July 6, 2012
Who: 3 aboard
Why: A helicopter is missing in Papua New Guinea. The pilot Russell Aikten recently achieved some fame after rescuing victims of the “Black Saturday” fire, and used to fly the Westpac Surf Life Saving Rescue Helicopter.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Hevilift are deploying teams to search for Captain Aikten, Chief pilot Antony Annan, and engineer Emmett Fynn. They left a mayday call about five minutes after leaving the InterOil Drill Rig site at 3.25pm Friday. They were en route to Creek to re-fuel and flying in an area reported to have low visibility at the time.

After days of searching, nothing has been found. Tuesday searchers will be using a helicopter fitted with a magnetometer, used to detect large mineral deposits. They hope it will pick up metal from the missing aircraft. The Australian Defence Force will be deploying two Blackhawks to assist in the search, in addition to the aero-medical evacuation team, additional observers and a downed aircraft recovery team.

See Video Below


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Four Injured in Aviation Fire in Papua, Pilot Fatality

What: Associated Mission Aviation Pacific Aerospace 750XL en route from Jayapura to Okbibab.
Where: Abmisibil Airport, Okbibab, Papua
When: Dec 17, 2011
Who: 5 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: The plane landed at Abmisibil Airport, and skidded into a ravine at the end of the runway.

Pilot Arnold Burung did not survive. The injured, Jacob Uropmabin, Timothy Uropmabin, Ramli, and Rady (AKA Yakob Uropmabin,Timotius Uropmabin, Ramly and Radi) were hospitalized at Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura.

Pacific Aerospace manufactures planes in New Zealand.

Ministry Opinion on PNG crash

What: PNG Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102
Where: 20 km (12.5 mls) S of Madang Airport (MAG) (Papua New Guinea)
When: Oct 13, 2011
Who: 4 crew, 28 passengers, 4 survivors
Why: The Png flight crashed 20 miles south of Madang, and was lost and later discovered on fire. 28 died in the crash, but pilots, one passenger and an attendant survived. The Australian Captain broke both legs in the crash. The surviving passenger is a Chinese man who incurred serious burns.

Based on the information that the pilot gave to the towers which was there’s smoke coming out of the engines and we’re running out of power, doing a forced landing, that’s what they said, which resulted in it crash landing.” The Ministry of Civil Aviation in Papua NG announced unofficially that there was a mechanical problem with the plane. The black box was recovered and sent to Australia for analysis.

A Canadian team from de Havilland is doing an independent investigation.

Papua New Guinea 28 Die in Violent Storm, Forest Crash on the Banks of the Gogol


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Raymond Ngu


What: PNG Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102
Where: 20 km (12.5 mls) S of Madang Airport (MAG) (Papua New Guinea)
When: Oct 13, 2011
Who: 4 crew, 28 passengers, 4 survivors
Why: About 5.15pm, while en route from Lae to Madang, the flight went down in dense forest in bad weather. The pilots managed to send a distress call. Four survivors were pulled from the wreckage and taken to Yamad clinic. The survivors include an 64 year old Australian pilot and a New Zealand pilot and an Asian passenger who was sitting in the seventh seat, who crawled through a crack in the fuselage, and who suffered burns on 27% of his body (including back and arms). Survivors are being transported by boat to Modilon hospital in Madang.

First responders were initially blocked when they could not cross the Guabe river, then a boat suffered engine problems, then the third attempt made it to the scene of the crash. A violent storm and dense forest hampered the rescue efforts, which were facilitated by chopper.

Australia engaged four army Blackhawk helicopters to assist in the rescue. Rescuers on the Gogol river were impeded due to heavy rains. It took four boats to reach the crash site.

PNG quarantined Laes Nadzab airport and grounded the Dash 8 fleet.

Witnesses saw the plane crash on the Guabe River bank and on impact, burst into flame. Most of the passengers were local Papuan parents of Madang’s Divine Word University students. According to a resort manager who went to pick them up from the airport, six of the plane’s occupants — one passenger and five crew members – had reservations to stay at Madang Resort.

PNG Accident Investigation Commission’s spokesman Sid O’Toole talked to the media.

PNG Airlines released the following:

POMSOX/MEDIA RELEASE – PORT MORESBY 10:30 PM THURSDAY, 13th OCTOBER 2011 – AIRLINES PNG ANNOUNCEMENT


We are sad to confirm that there has been an accident involving an Airlines PNG Dash 8 aircraft near Madang late Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services have been activated and Airlines PNG is co-operating with authorities to mount rescue and recovery efforts.

There were 28 passengers and 4 crew members on board. There appear to be some survivors while a number of people remain unaccounted for.

Airlines PNG is working with the emergency service authorities to confirm this information in more detail.

A full investigation is underway by authorities and Airlines PNG as to the possible cause of the accident.

Airlines PNG fully supports the action of local authorities at Lae who have quarantined aviation fuel at Lae airport from where the aircraft originated.

Airlines PNG has also grounded its Dash 8 fleet of 12 aircraft until further notice.

Our prayers and thoughts are now with all those affected by this very sad day for Papua New Guinea.

For further information contact:

Media Relations:

Email: media.relations@apng.com

AYMD 130602Z 1308/1320 12008KT 9999 SHRA SCT016 SCT030 BKN140 Q1009 1011 1010 1008
AYMD 122301Z 1302/1314 12010KT 9999 SHRA SCT016 SCT030 BKN140 Q1010 1008 1009 1011


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Answers Needed in Merpati Plane Crash

So far, there have been no answers in the question of the Chinese built Xian MA-60 Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane which killed 27 people on board when it crashed in Kaimana, West Papua. The plane was moments from landing when it crashed.

There are questions concerning state-owned Merpati Airlines, the state financing, and the planes air-worthiness. There is a local call for the Finance Ministry to publish details of the plane’s purchase.

On Thursday, the black box data of the Chinese made plane was sent to China for decoding.

The Indonesian Aviation Industry suffers from a reputation of questionable safety.


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US$5,850 to Crash Victims

What: Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60 en route from Sorong to Kaimana
Where: Kaimana, West Papua
When: May 7, 2010 12:21 pm
Who: 21 passengers (including 2 children and a baby), 4 crew, 2 technicians
Why: After flying a holding pattern for a quarter of an hour, the plane was on its final approach when it crashed in shallow water .3 miles before it reached the runway. On impact with the water, the plane broke in two and sank, with the passengers trapped within. Officials say bad weather and low visibility (6,600 ft) are responsible for the crash.


Crash victims are being paid Rp 50 million (US$5,850) by State insurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, according to published reports. The total is 1.35 billion Rp. Reports do not say if this is an interim payment.

27 Perish in Kaimana Bay in Merpati Crash

What: Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60 en route from Sorong to Kaimana
Where: Kaimana, West Papua
When: May 7, 2010 12:21 pm
Who: 21 passengers (including 2 children and a baby), 4 crew, 2 technicians
Why: After flying a holding pattern for a quarter of an hour, the plane was on its final approach when it crashed in shallow water .3 miles before it reached the runway. On impact with the water, the plane broke in two and sank, with the passengers trapped within. Officials say bad weather and low visibility (6,600 ft) are responsible for the crash.

The divers recovering the bodies from Kaimana Bay have been hampered by heavy rain; those recovered were described as “not intact.”

The Chinese-made plane was new and only had been in operation for just over 600 hours, since its purchase in October. Merpati flies three other Xian MA-60s’.


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Squirrel Crash Kills Aussie Pilot

What: Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil
Where: 36km south of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea
When: Feb 13, 2011
Who: Pilot Mal Smith
Why: While flying from the Eastern Highlands centre of Goroka to Manus for mining contractors, Australian Sunshine Coast helicopter pilot Lloyd Lester suffered engine failure in a Eurocopter AS350 P2-PHL Ecureuil, and crashed into the Bismarck sea en route to Manus Island. Eyewitnesses report indicate that the engine lost power, started up and lost power again.

Pacific Helicopters owner, Mal Smith (who is also Eastern Highlands Province governor) said some of the wreckage was found, but not the engine or Mr Lester. He was hopeful he would be found alive, but three helicopters and two planes searched an area 24 kilometres to the west and 70 kilometres to south of Baluan Island and Mr Lester was not found. Nearby islands are being searched in case he made it to shore.

Lester is from Papua New Guinea


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Papua New Guinea Plane Crash Kills 4

What: Australian Reef Pilots (ARP) Chartered plane
Where: Misima Airport,Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea
When: Aug 31, 2010
Who: 5 aboard, 4 fatalities (THREE Australians and one New Zealander)
Why: The weather had been wet and windy all day—after landing, the plane skidded into some trees off the edge of the runway, and burst into flames. The pilot is in critical condition.

ARP assists navigating vessels and provides emergency and temporary pilots consultancy.

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