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10 fatalities

Fatal aircraft accident near Karimui Airfield (P2-ISH)

Karimui, Papua New GuineaLanding (descent or approach)

On January 14, 1984, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration P2-ISH) operated by Talair was involved in an aviation accident near Karimui, Papua New Guinea during landing or approach. 10 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot began descending too early while flying in low cloud cover, leading to controlled flight into terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft crashed into a mountainside during its approach to Karimui Airfield, resulting in the loss of all ten people on board.

What happened

A flight traveling from Kundiawa toward Karimui Airfield ended in a fatal accident when the aircraft impacted a mountain slope. During the descent phase of the flight, the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions characterized by low cloud cover. While navigating through these obscured conditions, the pilot initiated the descent earlier than intended. The twin engine airplane subsequently struck terrain located a short distance from the destination airfield.

Findings

  • The aircraft was operating in poor visibility due to low clouds.
  • The accident occurred because of a premature descent into mountainous terrain.

Probable cause

The pilot began descending too early while flying in low cloud cover, leading to controlled flight into terrain.

Related events

Same operator

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