On August 20, 1988, a Britten-Norman Islander (registration 5W-FAF) operated by Polynesian Airline of Samoa - Polynesian Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Asau, Samoa Islands (Western Samoa) during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft within the remaining runway distance after landing. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A Britten-Norman Islander failed to stop after landing at Asau Airport, resulting in an excursion into a nearby lagoon.
What happened
During an arrival at Asau Airport, a Britten-Norman Islander was unable to decelerate sufficiently before the end of the runway. The aircraft overran the paved surface and exited the airfield perimeter, eventually plunging into a lagoon located adjacent to the landing strip.
Despite the impact with the water, there were no casualties reported among those on board. The incident resulted in no fatalities or injuries.
Findings
The aircraft failed to come to a complete stop within the available runway length.
Inadequate braking distance led to the excursion into the lagoon.
Probable cause
The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft within the remaining runway distance after landing.
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…