Originally Posted by
gulliBell
Sources report a Manolos medevac helicopter in LAE was dispatched 30 minutes after the accident. The cloud base in the area was 6000' and couldn't get to the crash site due weather.
The following day part of the wreckage was briefly sighed through a small break in the cloud but it wasn't possible to get to the crash site so a ground crew was dropped off at 5000' and they made their way on foot through very difficult terrain.
The following day the weather had improved and the Pacific Helicopter was able to deliver rescue personnel by rope where the pilot was found to be deceased. The ground crew dropped off the previous day had not been able to get to the crash site due terrain.
No wrong. I can assure you they certainly were not there. The only chopper at Nadzab at lunch on Saturday was a blue 406. That departed not long after in the opposite direction towards Watut.
There was talk that it did a run up to the general area on Sunday morning for a wee look. But came back reporting nothing found.
It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that the Hevilift chopper turned up. By which fairly late in the afternoon weather became a factor and they had to defer till Monday morning.
NCA made some runs up to the area Saturday afternoon and located a possible location. They again went up Sunday morning and left a team at the nearest strip to attempt to reach the site by foot. Ultimately they couldn't reach it.
Tuesday morning a Porgera rescue team member rapelled to the wreckage and declared our fellow aviator deceased.
A sad sad few days for PNG aviators.
Blue sky's forever brother.