What happened
On the morning of the accident, a twin-engine aircraft departed from Lae-Nadzab Airport at 0820LT, bound for Goroka. The flight was carrying a total of 17 people, consisting of two pilots and 15 passengers.
As the aircraft was performing a descent at an altitude of 8,500 feet, it encountered marginal weather conditions. During this phase of flight, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope situated approximately 20 km east-southeast of the departure airport. The force of the impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
There were 17 fatalities recorded following the crash, representing the entire occupancy of the aircraft. The wreckage was located in a mountainous region during a period of poor visibility.