What happened
On the morning of 30 March, an aircraft tasked with transporting general freight and newspapers departed Port Moresby at 0402 as flight ND304. The flight was destined for Hoskins, New Britain. Prior to departure, the aircraft was refueled with 640 litres of Jet-A1, with a total fuel load of 2,100 pounds reported in the flight plan. The pilot had reviewed an area forecast that noted scattered clouds and rain, with weather conditions expected to deteriorate near the destination between 0400 and 0800 hours.
The flight initially climbed to 14,000 feet. While the planned cruise altitude for the sector between Maran and Hoskins was 9,000 feet, the crew reported being over Maran at 0506 while cruising at 11,000 feet. This position report was intercepted by Port Moresby Flight Service, as the Nadzab Flight Service Unit had not yet begun daily operations. No further radio communications were received from the crew, and no descent intentions or distress signals were recorded.
After the aircraft failed to arrive at Hoskins, a search and rescue phase was initiated at 0650. Following reports from a local logging company regarding a crash east of Kandrian, investigators located the wreckage 27 km east of Kandrian at an elevation of 780 feet. The wreckage trail spanned 500 meters, showing evidence of collisions with trees before the final impact with the terrain. The accident is estimated to have occurred around 0523, and both crew members were killed in the crash.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating at 11,000 feet, which was 2,000 feet higher than the originally planned altitude of 9,000 feet.
- The last recorded radio contact occurred at 0506 over Maran; no subsequent communications or emergency declarations were made by the crew.