What happened
On 19 October 2013, an ATR42-300 (registered P2-PXY) was operating as flight PX2900 from Madang to Tabubil. The aircraft, operated by Air Niugini, was transporting a cargo of tobacco. The crew consisted of three members: the pilot in command, a co-pilot, and an experienced instructor captain providing approach guidance.
During the takeoff roll on runway 25, the flight crew attempted to rotate at the calculated speed of 102 knots. At this moment, the pilot in command experienced significant resistance in the pitch controls, noting that the control column would not move backward as expected. Flight data records show that roughly two seconds after this difficulty, the pilot initiated an aborted takeoff using full reverse thrust and maximum braking.
Despite these efforts, the aircraft could not be stopped within the runway limits. The plane exited the runway over an embankment, where the right wing made contact with a perimeter fence. The impact, followed by a post-crash fire and partial submersion in salt water, caused extensive damage. The right engine was torn from its mount and fell into the water, while both propellers were destroyed during the event. There were 0 fatalities and no injuries reported among the crew.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that there were no mechanical defects or malfunctions present in the aircraft's systems. Instead, the investigation determined that the aircraft was overloaded, with both the total mass and the center of gravity falling outside of permissible operational limits. Specifically, the weight in the forward cargo zone 'A' exceeded structural limitations. These conditions were attributed to inaccurate weight data provided by the client and a lack of adequate loading supervision and procedures within Air Niugini.