Disparition DHC 6 Twin Otter , Papouasie Nouvelle Guninée

Un DHC-6 Twin Otter est porté disparu avec 13 personnes à bord alors qu'il se dirigeait vers une zone touristique de Papouasie-Nouvelle Guinée.

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Le tableau d' Aviation Safety Net :

11-AUG-2009

Airlines PNG.

Occupants : 13

Location: Near Kokoda. [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Phase : En route

Departure airport : Port Moresby.

Un article du Miamiherald, avec quelques détails :

SYDNEY -- A charter plane carrying 13 people to a popular tourist site in Papua New Guinea vanished on approach in bad weather to an airport nestled in rugged terrain on Tuesday. Australia's foreign minister said a "possible crash site" may have been found.

The twin-engine plane left the capital of Port Moresby en route to an airport near the country's Kokoda Track, a mountainous 60-mile (100-kilometer) trail. The plane's crew radioed air traffic controllers as it was approaching the airstrip, but the aircraft never landed, said Allen Tyson, a spokesman for Airlines PNG.

A search and rescue mission was immediately launched, Tyson said. The plane, carrying 11 passengers, including nine Australians, and two crew, had an emergency locator beacon, but it was not transmitting, he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in Canberra that a helicopter searching for the plane had landed in a village thought to be near a "possible crash site" Tuesday night.

"I say a 'possible crash site' because PNG authorities, PNG Airlines and Australian officials are relying on information relayed by villagers on the ground," Smith said.

Efforts to locate the plane were being hampered by bad weather, low visibility and rugged terrain in the mountainous region.

"We hope, weather permitting, that a substantially enhanced search and rescue effort can commence tomorrow morning," Smith said.

The Kokoda Track is a popular tourist destination for Australians. On board the plane were eight Australian tourists and an Australian tour guide planning to walk the trail as part of a trek organized by the adventure tour company No Roads Expeditions, the company said in a statement. Another guide from Papua New Guinea was also on board, the company said.

"We hold grave concerns for their safety and well-being," Smith said.

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Update sur ASN :

Immatriculation: P2-MCB

Numéro de série: 441

Année de Fabrication: 1975

Equipage:victimes: 2 / à bord: 2

Passagers:victimes: 11 / à bord: 11

Total:victimes: 13 / à bord: 13

Dégats de l'appareil: Perte Totale

Conséquences: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Lieu de l'accident:près de Kokoda (Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée)

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An Airlines PNG DHC-6 Twin Otter passenger plane was damaged beyond repair when it flew into a mountainside near Kokoda Airport (KKD), killing all 13 on board.
Flight CG 4684 departed Port Moresby-Jackson Field (POM) at 10:53. The airplane flew into the side of a tree covered mountain at an altitude of 5500 feet (1676 metres) after aborting the first attempt to land at Kokoda.

The weather in the area was reported as poor with low clouds.
The Kokoda Airport is located in a valley at an elevation of 1273 feet, surrounded by mountains in the North and South, some with an elevation of 8500 feet.
The airfield has a single runway, 17/35. It has a 2,2% down slope with landings restricted to runway 17.

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Le DHC 6 retrouvé, pas de survivants :

Les craintes ont été confirmées. Le Premier ministre australien a annoncé au parlement le 12 août que le Twin Otter d’Airlines PNG porté disparu le 11 août en Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée avait été retrouvé. Il n’y a aucun survivant parmi les treize occupants de l’appareil (onze passagers et deux membres d’équipage).

Le turbopropulseur, un DHC6-300, devait relier Port-Moresby à Kokoda, une destination touristique réputée chez les Australiens – d’où la présence de neuf ressortissants du pays dans l’appareil. Il était immatriculé P2-MCB.

Il a disparu dans les montagnes couvertes de forêt au nord de la capitale lors de l’approche vers Kokoda. Le site n’a été localisé que le lendemain de la disparition. On ignore encore les causes de l’accident.

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