What happened
On a scheduled flight departing from Nabire Airport at 12:54 local time, a single-engine aircraft was en route to Kaimana with a total of 13 people on board, including two pilots and 11 passengers. Approximately two minutes after the departure, the aircraft was in its climb phase when the crew reported a loss of engine power to air traffic control.
In response to the emergency, controllers authorized the aircraft to perform an immediate return to the airport for a landing on runway 17. However, the aircraft was unable to complete the return maneuver. The pilot subsequently attempted an emergency landing, resulting in the plane ditching into the ocean a few hundred meters northwest of the airfield.
Findings
Following the ditching, all 13 occupants were successfully rescued from the aircraft.