The plane, heading to Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea, had to turn back due to a low oil pressure indication for left engine.

The plane landed uneventfully. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.

The post PNG Air Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Papua New Guinea first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

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.

The post Ministry Opinion on PNG crash first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

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.

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

The post Papua New Guinea 28 Die in Violent Storm, Forest Crash on the Banks of the Gogol first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: PNG Airlines
Where: Papua New Guinea’s Owen Stanley Ranges
When: August 11 2009
Who: 13 people including nine Australians, three Papua New Guineans, including the female pilot, and a Japanese man
Why: Unresolved

George’s Point of View

While the cause of the crash is unknown, the locals are claiming compensation because the consequences of the crash include environmental damage. The area’s only water supply has been contaminated with human blood, aviation fuel and chemicals, which poses a health risk.

The post Plane Crash Leads to Environmental Claims first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.