Accident
On a cargo flight from Dekai Airport to Wamena, a twin-engine aircraft departed at 1530 local time with three crew members and a load of 1,600 kg of various goods. The crew maintained radio contact with Wamena between 1554 and 1600 local time. At 1601 local time, while cruising at an altitude of 9,600 feet in limited visibility, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope. The wreckage was located the following day approximately 19 km southeast of Wamena. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, and all three occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause as controlled flight into terrain after the crew was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The report also noted that instrument flight rules (IFR) approaches to Wamena are not possible, and only VFR approaches are available.