Pilot probe over mystery landing
Pilot probe over mystery landing
This item from www.news.com.au
PAPUA New Guinea police are questioning an Australian pilot who landed a light aircraft at a disused airport near a rebel no-go zone and the huge and abandoned Panguna mine on Bougainville.
The PNG government today described the pilot's unauthorised actions on the troubled island as "stupid and risky" and said it raised safety and security concerns.
A spokeswomen for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) today said a privately owned Australian aircraft landed at a decommissioned airport at the central Bougainville town of Aropa near the copper and gold mine.
She said the small plane was piloted by an Australian, with another Australian on board as well as a British national.
The Australian pilot is now in Port Moresby and is being interviewed by police, she said.
PNG's Inter-Government Relations Minister Sir Peter Barter said the landing raised serious safety and security concerns.
"As Aropa airport is currently not open for use, we are concerned at the safety implications," he said.
"We are also concerned to know why anyone would do something so stupid and risky as landing an aircraft at an airport which has been decommissioned for some time."
Sir Peter said the three foreigners had been seen heading towards the island's no-go zone around the former Panguna mine.
The huge open cut mine, once among the largest in the world, has been closed since the late 1980s when rebel leader Francis Ona declared a secessionist war against its operators and the PNG government.
Ona still occupies the area and has refused to allow people in without his authorisation.
Sir Peter said PNG authorities want to know why the foreigners "have chosen to arrive in such a strange and potentially dangerous way."
"What is it that causes them to risk an illegal landing and then travel secretly into the no-go zone?" Sir Peter asked.
Australian law enforcement officials in PNG were today discussing the illegal landing with their PNG counterparts, the DFAT spokeswoman said.
The Australian-registered aircraft had been grounded in the northern PNG city of Rabaul and would stay there until further investigations have been completed, she said.
Eight Australian Federal Police officers arrived in Bougainville last month as part of the A$900 million Enhanced Co-operation Program to restore law and order to PNG.
About 210 Australian police and 64 public officials are expected to be in place at crime centres around the country by March 2005.
DJ737
The Roo Rooter
PAPUA New Guinea police are questioning an Australian pilot who landed a light aircraft at a disused airport near a rebel no-go zone and the huge and abandoned Panguna mine on Bougainville.
The PNG government today described the pilot's unauthorised actions on the troubled island as "stupid and risky" and said it raised safety and security concerns.
A spokeswomen for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) today said a privately owned Australian aircraft landed at a decommissioned airport at the central Bougainville town of Aropa near the copper and gold mine.
She said the small plane was piloted by an Australian, with another Australian on board as well as a British national.
The Australian pilot is now in Port Moresby and is being interviewed by police, she said.
PNG's Inter-Government Relations Minister Sir Peter Barter said the landing raised serious safety and security concerns.
"As Aropa airport is currently not open for use, we are concerned at the safety implications," he said.
"We are also concerned to know why anyone would do something so stupid and risky as landing an aircraft at an airport which has been decommissioned for some time."
Sir Peter said the three foreigners had been seen heading towards the island's no-go zone around the former Panguna mine.
The huge open cut mine, once among the largest in the world, has been closed since the late 1980s when rebel leader Francis Ona declared a secessionist war against its operators and the PNG government.
Ona still occupies the area and has refused to allow people in without his authorisation.
Sir Peter said PNG authorities want to know why the foreigners "have chosen to arrive in such a strange and potentially dangerous way."
"What is it that causes them to risk an illegal landing and then travel secretly into the no-go zone?" Sir Peter asked.
Australian law enforcement officials in PNG were today discussing the illegal landing with their PNG counterparts, the DFAT spokeswoman said.
The Australian-registered aircraft had been grounded in the northern PNG city of Rabaul and would stay there until further investigations have been completed, she said.
Eight Australian Federal Police officers arrived in Bougainville last month as part of the A$900 million Enhanced Co-operation Program to restore law and order to PNG.
About 210 Australian police and 64 public officials are expected to be in place at crime centres around the country by March 2005.
DJ737
The Roo Rooter
Bwaahahahahaha, I was thinking the exact same thing. Join Date: Dec 2002
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Navigational error
the central Bougainville town of Aropa
Sorry..........
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Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
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It appears he was driving a C550 and a lear at the same time. Hope he is rated on both. 
the rego checks out as a C550, so one of the articles is nearly correct re the aircraft details, the just stuffed it by calling it a lear.
how hard is it to look at the rego register to give ones story some type of credit.
the rego checks out as a C550, so one of the articles is nearly correct re the aircraft details, the just stuffed it by calling it a lear.
how hard is it to look at the rego register to give ones story some type of credit.
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Just for you, Super Trouper...
- Same mystery C550 confirmed flying very low over Buka on 2/9, but it didn't land .. hmmmm?
- Talk is that the arrival in Aropa on 30/9 was very quiet. Very quiet indeed. Locals only heard the plane as it made its departure.
- Also hearing some of Aropa's nearby neighbours aren't too happy with what's been going on. (expect they'd like some landing fees?)
- PNG CAA not exactly rushing to grant clearance for the C550 to wing its way back to Australia.
and
- Rumours of Australian "royalty" on board the mystery flight.
- PNG police still want to speak to an Australian man and a British man seen leaving the plane at Aropa & heading into the no-go zone around Panguna.
- Same mystery C550 confirmed flying very low over Buka on 2/9, but it didn't land .. hmmmm?
- Talk is that the arrival in Aropa on 30/9 was very quiet. Very quiet indeed. Locals only heard the plane as it made its departure.
- Also hearing some of Aropa's nearby neighbours aren't too happy with what's been going on. (expect they'd like some landing fees?)
- PNG CAA not exactly rushing to grant clearance for the C550 to wing its way back to Australia.
and
- Rumours of Australian "royalty" on board the mystery flight.
- PNG police still want to speak to an Australian man and a British man seen leaving the plane at Aropa & heading into the no-go zone around Panguna.
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UH HA! I'll put down my spy thriller and start following this one, as it could be more interesting!
What business could one be up to in Aropa?
The "royalty" bit has got me stuffed?
Thanks Uncle Aunty,
ST
What business could one be up to in Aropa?
The "royalty" bit has got me stuffed?
Thanks Uncle Aunty,
ST
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Wow Wee, Boy Oh Boy. What can I say?????? I just looked at the link and I am now needing to go and get a glass of red and sit and have a close read of this cr*p!
Things are getting more interesting than the Womans Day.
Thanks Uncle!
ST
OK, have just read what HRH has to say. I still don\'t see the connection to Aropa?
Is his \'utopia\' that wealthy it can afford a C550?
ST
Things are getting more interesting than the Womans Day.
Thanks Uncle!
ST
OK, have just read what HRH has to say. I still don\'t see the connection to Aropa?
Is his \'utopia\' that wealthy it can afford a C550?
ST
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Have heard that one of the guys the PNG cops want to talk to claims to be a 'prince' and I gather he's got something to do with that site.
There's also some talk that there might have been a second small foreign plane around Tokua (Rabaul) last week - but not a VH-rego'd one........
OzExpat.. heard anything about this one?
There's also some talk that there might have been a second small foreign plane around Tokua (Rabaul) last week - but not a VH-rego'd one........
OzExpat.. heard anything about this one?
Possible Headline
"Right-Wing Wing Nut Wings In to Aropa"? I though this sort of "let's declare my back garden a tax haven! Hey, we could let you join too*" stuff went out in about 1989!
* for a suitable fee
* for a suitable fee
PPRuNeaholic
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No Uncle, I haven't heard any of that yet. I happily passed the buck to another bloke in the office and, now that its all become sooooo political, I'm glad to be out of it. I met the pilot quite some time ago and, though I don't know him well, was surprised that he was involved in this mess.
Yes steamchicken, I reckon that's right. Bougainville is not a place for playing silly buggas.
Yes steamchicken, I reckon that's right. Bougainville is not a place for playing silly buggas.
hmmm
A rather dubious and irrational basis for founding a principality...
General McArthur said, He could now claim all the area North of the line for the United States as the 53 State, but because Australia was an ally, he would not do so, thus the lands and islands were abandoned by the conqueror.
NO OFFICIAL POSSESSION EVER TOOK PLACE AGAIN IN COMPLIANCE OF STANDARD PRACTICE OF TAKING POSSESSION OF AN AREA
NO OFFICIAL POSSESSION EVER TOOK PLACE AGAIN IN COMPLIANCE OF STANDARD PRACTICE OF TAKING POSSESSION OF AN AREA
The English is pretty odd too. Do they still have rebels in Bougainville? EDIT: Just followed the links, stupid question clearly (bears in woods, Pope a Catholic etc).
I think the reference to a "money scheme" in one of those reports is probably the truth.
I think the reference to a "money scheme" in one of those reports is probably the truth.