Aircraft down in PNG

[Eggman]

Is anyone able to confirm or add info on the crash in Papua New Guinea on Saturday 14 Dec?
Details apparently reported on radio as follows:

Operator: Island Airways, Madang
Aircraft: BN2 Islander
Location: Near Teptep
Phase: Take-off
Fatalaties: 8
Survivors: 0
Pax: PNG Government officials/politicians

Other info believed to be:
Pilot: A PNG National
Aircraft rego: P2-CBB (260hp)

For info:
Teptep located approx. 64nm SE of Madang, 38nm NNW of Nadzab, on north side of Finisterre Ranges.
Elevation: Approx. 7000', Slope: 10%, Length: 640m, Group: 3 (has been used by Barons).

[Sheep Guts]

My condolences to all concermed this is tragic news..

Regards to the Airstrip, by your discription, theres no way Id go there with a Baron.........:eek:

Condolences
Sheep:(

[Johhny Utah]

Here's the article from the Post Courier newspaper about the accident.

Plane crash
DEPUTY Governor of Madang Joe Tola was among eight people killed in a light plane crash at an airstrip he had just opened at Rai Coast on Saturday.
Also killed in the crash was former Rai Coast MP and Governor of Madang Stahl Musa.
There were no survivors of the plane owned by Islands Aviation.
Yesterday, a grieving Governor of Madang James Yali said it was the “biggest disaster in the province’’. He offered his condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.
“We are shocked. All my chairmen are in deep sorrow.” He said his government was contacting all the immediate family members of the plane crash.
Others killed were government officers Saun Yaboi, Ben Taumai, Paul Madu, Francis Kalana, the pilot Elizah Eliot and a Lutheran Church pastor from Rai Coast.
Mr Tola and his party flew to Rai Coast in an Islands Airways light aircraft to open the new airstrip at Guhu on the Finnestere Range. They were taking off from the airstrip to return to Madang after the ceremony when the plane crashed into a cliff. The cause of the crash is yet to be established.
A chartered helicopter retrieved the bodies of the victims yesterday and flew them to Madang hospital. On Friday and Saturday, Madang experienced heavy rain and strong winds.
Governor Yali said he had put off the opening of the airstrip this year because of the festive season. However, he said the administration had gone ahead and arranged the trip.
A councillor from Guhu walked all the way to the coast on Saturday night to alert the authorities about the crash yesterday morning.
“I received the message and contacted Civil Aviation Authority and the Disaster and Emergency office. Until this morning (yesterday morning), nobody knew,” (about the crash) he said.
He said he had already met with immediate family members of some of the victims.
Mr Yali said his government would draw up a funeral program and declare a day of mourning this week.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, Madang Regional MP Sir Peter Barter and East Sepik Governor Arthur Somare have sent their condolences to the victims’ families..
Guhu airstrip was one of two initiated by the late Mr Musa when he was Rai Coast MP in the last Parliament. The other strip is at Wangeto.
Post Courier online (http://www.postcourier.com.pg)

[OzExpat]

I'm on hols in Oz, so this is the first I've heard of it. A real tragedy for Madang - and Island Airways, a small company with lots of experience in the bush. A very sad event indeed - it doesn't seem enough to offer condolences in this instance. :(

Eggie... where are you these days mate? Haven't seen you at all since you got back in country. Drop me a PM whenever you can - I'll be back there 10 January. We can arrange a suitable time for an OJ or 6! :D

[Eggman]

The following article was published in The National (http://www.thenational.com.pg) on Friday 20 December:

Investigations are continuing into the plane crash that claimed the lives of eight people in the mountainous Finisterre Range of the Madang Province last Saturday. Mr Sid O'Toole from the national Transport Department is leading the probe, which began last Tuesday. Mr O'Toole said yesterday that initial investigations have established that the pilot had attempted to take off from Guhu airstrip after a period of heavy rainfall that lasted for more than four hours. "The aircraft failed to become airborne after take off," said Mr O'Toole. He said it nose-dived at the end of the strip and fell into a steep ravine where it crashed about 150 metres down into a cliff face. The theory was pieced together from where the wreckage is located, he said, adding that it will be necessary to recover the remains of the aircraft to get to the bottom of the crash. He said the remains of the aircraft are located on a steep slope and it will take some time before they can piece it together to find out what happened. "A big helicopter is needed to lift the aircraft out of the crash area," he said, adding that he is arranging this through his department. He said it is a large task and it will take time before they can really determine the cause of the crash. In the meantime, Gohu villagers have been engaged to guard the wreckage.

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For info:
Guhu is located approx 35nm SE of Madang, about halfway between Madang and Teptep.
Elevation: 3700'. Slope: 5% (undulating). Length: 600m. Group: 4.