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Aircraft down in PNG ?

Old 29th Aug 2019, 09:28
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Aircraft down in PNG ?

Totally unconfirmed rumours suggest an aircraft is missing in PNG.

Rumour only, usual contacts rather quite which is not good.
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Old 29th Aug 2019, 12:05
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Confirmed, I won’t say where or what just yet but things aren’t looking good from what I here. However there is still hope.

Should find out more tomorrow.
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Old 29th Aug 2019, 12:17
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Any clues as to the aircraft type?
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Old 29th Aug 2019, 12:45
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Air Tractor 502 registration P2-SET.
Aussie SAR Challenger 604 aircraft from Cairns did a sweep of the Southern Gulf area, search will resume in the morning
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Old 29th Aug 2019, 12:58
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Originally Posted by Kagamuga
Air Tractor 502 registration P2-SET.
Aussie SAR Challenger 604 aircraft from Cairns did a sweep of the Southern Gulf area, search will resume in the morning
Cheers for that.
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Old 29th Aug 2019, 23:53
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Has it been found?
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 01:10
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Not as far as I have heard. The aircraft has gone missing between Teredau and Baimuru; hostile swamp country, crocodile infested.
We can only hope for a successful outcome.
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 01:11
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Parts of the aircraft and personal belongings have been found, however the pilot and rest of the aircraft is still missing. That was the update as of last night.

Weather in the area is currently unsuitable for VFR ops, low cloud, rain and drizzle. Been like it on and off for weeks out here.

There was also a report in today’s newspaper about the accident. Didn’t really say much apparent from stating that the AIC are preparing to go to Baimuru to investigate.
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 01:38
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Was told aircraft wreckage found 50nm from Daru this morning. Era river? Near Kikori?
Person who told me is reliable
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 01:58
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Upstream from Baimuru somewhere, towards the Wabo area
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 02:58
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Was a flight plan filed for this flight?
Were any distress calls heard on VHF or HF?
Was the aircraft fitted with ADS-B, V2 tracking, Spider tracks?
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Old 30th Aug 2019, 23:43
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Any updates? -cant find anything in the PNG or Australian newspapers
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Old 31st Aug 2019, 06:41
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Lack of updates is nothing new in PNG.
I cannot find any trace of a flight plan filed by P2-SET since 2016 (www.flightaware.com), which is rather odd as both VFR and IFR flight plans show up. If the aircraft was returning from Australia after undergoing maintenance, then again nothing showing; ever!
I assume the aircraft was working or owned/leased for the sugar/coffee people in the Ramu valley?
Did the aircraft operate with an AOC (Air Operator Certificate) or was it an owner flown private venture operating over private property, which I would venture to suggest requires no operational oversight.?
Still, apart from a brief one line in "The National" there does not appear to be any acknowledgement in mainstream media in PNG or Australia and New Zealand. I would have thought with an ex-patriate passing the appropriate High Commission would have made a statement.
It's almost as if the accident has not really happened?
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Old 31st Aug 2019, 08:07
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Accident certainly happened, apparently there were pictures on Facebook of people holding parts of wreckage in a river. I’m not on Facebook so I wouldn’t know where to start.

Unconfirmed repots are that the pilot may have ditched it in the Era River, fuselage hadn’t been found as of last night was the message that I got from one reliable source.

Operator was operating (or once did) under a CASA PNG Part 137 approval, which applies to ag operations in PNG.

It certainly is quite surprising that it hasn’t been reported in the Australian media as I’m pretty sure the pilot would have been an expat.

As mentioned in a previous post, the weather at the time in the area was crap, certainly not VMC I suspect, if so it would have been very marginal VMC.
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Old 31st Aug 2019, 08:42
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I found this on Facebook

Purari News - Baimuru LLG Gulf Province - GKN

** BREAKING NEWS **
Small aeroplane crashed between Kikori and Baimuru in the Era river

It has been confirmed that the small yellow aeroplane crashed in the Era river that got most likely missing yesterday afternoon.
Villagers found small pieces of the wing and some medical boxes and the vest of the pilot that is still missing. The locals went out and keep searching for the remains. No pilot or passengers have been found yet.

**Update 31st August 12:00h**
The body of the pilot has been found.
Villagers saw the plane having troubles, trying to land on the river, but bounced back into the air and crashed approximately 100 meters inland of the river.
Yesterday, the body has been brought to Karati and will be taken to Kikori for transport to Moresby, according to the healthcare workers at Karati village.
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Old 31st Aug 2019, 08:58
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As a long time PNG person, my heartfelt thanks to the Villagers who have been so helpful and also for retrieving the pilot's body.
You are indeed a very fine example of true PNG citizens..
Thank you!
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Old 31st Aug 2019, 21:41
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The wreckage has certainly been found:

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Old 2nd Sep 2019, 11:17
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Still nothing in main stream media or foreign Legations, does anyone have a name for the pilot? please …...
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Old 4th Sep 2019, 03:36
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Originally Posted by Kagamuga
Still nothing in main stream media or foreign Legations, does anyone have a name for the pilot? please …...
Hello,I only joined this forum to see what happened to my friend of 30 years,John Alders.
It appears it was he who was involved in this event.
I found out while having a coffee 3 days ago when a mutual friend told me.
And yes as you have indicated no news anywhere re this event.
Our 2 local newspapers (Tablelands) mention nothing and it appears the Cairns Post is unaware.
I have emailed ABC...nothing and channel 9....nothing,
The only piece I have found with no updates is in the National newspaper,I'm not allowed to link due to 1 post.It is dated 30th August if someone else would like to post it,you have to go back about 8-10 pages.

Simon.
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Old 4th Sep 2019, 21:06
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Simon, nothing in The National news paper in PNG: https://www.thenational.com.pg/?s=aircraft+crash

Can't find a National newspaper in Australia.

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