Copy of a PM I sent Flyer. I have restrained myself from some negative comment so hope he won't mind feeding your collective curiousity.
I departed Moki enroute Goroka in C185/BAF on that Friday and was asked by Madang FS to check the area just east of Bundi Gap for a missing 206. While it was very cloudy I was able to monitor his ELT and by flying back and forth listening to the signal fade/strengthen and drop out I narrowed his position down to a small area. I then flew to Goroka and dropped into Pacific Helicopters to ask what was going on. DCA Port Moresby had alerted them to the 'possibility' of a downed aircraft but told then to standby. I told Mal Smith, the owner of Pacific Helicopters, that they were definately down and about where....after a while he said "stuff DCA' and launched a chopper with me and a pilot who's name escapes me to go look. The weather had cleared when we reached the area and after a short search I spotted a flash of colour in the trees...we circled back and there they were...fuselage inverted/nose down/wings ripped off and two people, a man and a women, waving madly.
After assuring them that we had seen them we flew back to Goroka to put together some sort of rescue plan. A Pac Helicopters Bell 212 with a winch was parked outside but no pilots available. We rang DCA and, from memory, they suggested we use the PNG Defence FARCE to rescue your mate. We put together some heliboxes with extra blankets and stuff (which destroyed their CofG causing them to tumble instead of spin down gently, and a chainsaw/fuel and flew back to the crash site. I lowered the chainsaw down on a rope and dropped the heliboxes....your mate then went berserk with the chainsaw as if we could pick him up immediately if he denuded enough of the mountain in the next 3 minutes
By this time it was probably 1700 and too late to effect a rescue that day. The Defence Farce 'Strategic Recon Unit' was going to come up the next day...we asked for them at dawn but they reconed mid morning...as I knew their Australian Commanding Officer I put in a call and he assured me they would be at Goroka at first light....they arrived mid morning.
First a C47 and then a Arava overflew Goroka and headed up towards the crash site....as if there was ANY chance of spotting them from a large fixed wing aircraft without knowing the exact spot to look...idiots. They then returned to GKA and went for a wander around town buying stuff before most got back on board one of the aircraft and left.
The remaining idiots were then briefed by myself and we dropped them into a small clearing we had found 1nm south of the crash site two at a time.
This was no small feat a it was a VERY small Kunai sink hole with a large tree covering most of it...to get in we had to hover in under the tree and then put down in head high kunai grass. On each trip I got out and led them, crawling, to a spot in front of the chopper and outside the rotor disk. The last two in were the CO and his 2nd IC. As we got to the 'safe' spot' I said "Right 1nm on a heading of 350deg magnetic, OK?"
"UGH Nogat map and nogat compass!!"
"F**CKING WHAT???"
We then flew back to Goroka and found a suitable map and compass and flew it back in...as I crawled through the kunai to deliver said items they were brewing up and looked like they were settling in for a long stay...no sign of any desire to head north.
This was late Saturday and my direct involvement finished but I kept in touch with Mal Smith over the next few days. Everyday the chopper had to go out and find the recon team, who was lost, and give them a new track and distance to the crash site. They were finally rescued on the Wednesday!!!
Chuck.