Accident Details
A twin-engine aircraft departed Lae-Nadzab Airport at 0820 local time on a flight to Goroka. On board were 15 passengers and two pilots. While descending at an altitude of 8,500 feet in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 20 kilometers east-southeast of Lae-Nadzab Airport. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and all 17 occupants were killed. Among the deceased were two Dutch citizens.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain. The crew had continued the descent to Goroka while operating under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). At the time of the collision, the aircraft was approximately one kilometer off course and at an insufficient altitude; the minimum safe altitude for that area was fixed at 14,000 feet.