Occurrence
On 22 January 2026, at 10:57 local time (00:57 UTC), a De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration P2-BBM, operated by Tropicair Limited, conducted an emergency landing on Runway 32L at Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby. The aircraft had departed Tapini Airstrip, Central Province, at 09:33 local time on an IFR charter flight. During the cruise phase, the crew was advised by the company that the nose wheel assembly had detached and separated after takeoff from Tapini Airstrip. The crew subsequently prepared for an emergency landing.
Emergency Landing
The crew contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and declared a PAN (Potential Accident Notification). They requested to overfly the control tower for visual confirmation of the missing nose wheel. ATC confirmed the loss. The aircraft was vectored away while emergency response procedures were activated. The aircraft then landed on Runway 32L without the nose wheel assembly, coming to rest on the runway. The crew shut down the engines and evacuated all 19 passengers and 2 crew members. No injuries were reported.
Damage
The nose wheel assembly had detached from the aircraft during takeoff at Tapini Airstrip. The damaged nose landing gear assembly sustained additional substantial damage during the emergency landing at Jacksons International Airport.
Background
The flight had originated from Jacksons International Airport, landing at Tapini Airstrip at 08:58 local time. The pilot-in-command reported that the runway surface at Tapini was wet and slippery. During the turnaround, after passenger disembarkation and cargo unloading, the aircraft was reloaded for the return flight. During the takeoff roll, as the aircraft turned to align with runway heading 090°, it began to slide on the wet surface. Recorded data indicated a loss of directional control during application of takeoff power. The aircraft became airborne after approximately 550 metres of ground roll.
Investigation
The Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) commenced an investigation. The investigation is ongoing and will include operational, systems, performance, maintenance, organizational, design, and manufacturing aspects. No safety actions or recommendations have been issued at the time of this preliminary report.