What happened
In the early morning, a four-engine airplane departed from 7 Mile Drome in Port Moresby to conduct a surveillance mission. The aircraft was carrying 11 crew members. Shortly after takeoff, the plane lost control and crashed into a truck convoy located at the eastern end of the runway.
The vehicles involved were loaded with soldiers from the Australian Army's 2/33rd Infantry Battalion. These troops were waiting for orders to board C-47 Skytrains for transport northward to Nadzab Airfield via Tsili Tsili Airfield. The impact resulted in the deaths of all 11 occupants of the aircraft as well as 59 people on the ground. Additionally, 92 individuals sustained injuries in the incident.
Findings
The source material does not provide specific technical findings or a formal investigation report regarding the mechanical or human factors that led to the loss of control immediately after departure.