Occurrence
On 24 June 2016, the pilot of a Cessna 182 aircraft, registered N8841X, was performing a private flight delivering medical supplies to Yapsie and Tumolbil in the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. After unloading supplies at Yapsie, the aircraft departed for Tumolbil carrying medical supplies and a bottle of compressed propane gas. Air traffic services records indicate the pilot advised being in the circuit area at 01:05 UTC and canceled search and rescue on the ground at 01:06.
The pilot reported that the final approach into Tumolbil Airstrip appeared straightforward, but during the flare, the nose-wheel struck the strip surface heavily. The aircraft bounced, pivoted about its lateral axis, and the rear fuselage struck the ground. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft could not be flown out due to the damage.
Aircraft and Pilot
The aircraft, a Cessna 182 registered in the United States, held a valid US airworthiness certificate and registration. It had been granted a Permission to Import by the PNG Department of Transport, but there was no evidence that required permission from the Controller of Civil Aviation was obtained. Efforts to convert the registration to PNG registry were not completed.
The pilot held a valid US commercial pilot certificate and a class 3 medical certificate, with 2,080 total flight hours, 300 on type, and about 100 hours as pilot-in-command solo in Papua New Guinea. The investigation found that the pilot had not undergone any familiarization flights or check and training for the routes and airstrips he was operating into, despite seeking assistance from operators.
Airstrip
Tumolbil Airstrip is located at coordinates 04°46.360′S / 141°00.713′E, about 10 nm southwest of Yapsie and 32 nm northwest of Tabubil. It is a one-way grass strip oriented 14/32, at an elevation of 3,367 ft above mean sea level, with a 12% downslope to the northwest. The strip is surrounded by high mountainous and densely vegetated terrain, with no road access; the only access is by air.
Damage
On-site inspection revealed a dent approximately 10 cm in diameter on the bottom of the tail. The engine firewall and bulkhead assembly tunnel behind the firewall were substantially damaged, compromising the integrity of the trim cables. The rudder trim wheel appeared displaced from its designed position and could not rotate past 30 degrees. Primary flight controls operated freely through full travel, but the elevator trim wheel was stiff.