What happened
On 19 December 2008, a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, registration YJ-RV2, operated by Air Vanuatu (Domestic) Limited, crashed while performing a flight from Lajmoli to Santo. The aircraft had been diverted from its original schedule to accommodate additional passengers and baggage following a previous flight cancellation. After departing Lajmoli at 1016, the aircraft was loaded with 9 passengers and baggage, reaching near-maximum allowable weight.
During the flight, witnesses noted that the aircraft struggled to climb and took longer than usual to become airborne. As the aircraft traveled inland toward the rising terrain, passengers observed the plane flying at a lower-than-normal altitude across several ridges. As the aircraft approached a final ridgeline, the stall warning was heard, and the aircraft struck trees and vegetation.
Following the impact, the 8 surviving passengers evacuated the wreckage. While the pilot was killed and one passenger sustained critical injuries, the remaining passengers attempted to trek toward Wunavae village. The wreckage was located by an ATR 42 crew at approximately 4000 feet in a mountainous area west of Big Bay. Search and rescue operations, involving international assistance from New Caledonia, eventually located the survivors in the following days.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating at near-maximum allowable weight.
- The load sheet used by the pilot omitted the weight of the fuel, leading to an inaccurate calculation of the total load.
- The aircraft was observed flying at a low altitude while traversing hilly terrain.