What happened
During a flight through severe weather, an aircraft collided with the summit of Mt Puncak Jaya, which stands at an elevation of 4,160 meters, in the Papua region. The plane was intended to reach Biak Airport but failed to arrive at its destination. Following the disappearance, search and rescue operations were launched to locate the missing vessel and its occupants. However, after several days of searching without success, the mission was terminated as no evidence of the aircraft or the 8 crew members could be identified.
It was not until 1969 that debris from the accident was discovered on the southern slope of the mountain. The incident remains a significant event in the region's aviation history due to the difficulty of the terrain and the extreme weather present at the time of the crash.
Findings
- The aircraft crashed while cruising in poor weather conditions.
- The impact occurred on the high-altitude terrain of Mt Puncak Jaya.