What happened
During a flight originating from Lae, the crew began an approach toward runway 25 at Madang Airport. The operation took place at night under conditions of poor visibility and heavy rainfall. After determining that the weather conditions were unsuitable for landing, the captain executed a go-around procedure. Following a brief period of holding, the crew transitioned to an approach for runway 07.
The aircraft touched down 300 meters beyond the runway threshold. Because of the wet state of the runway surface, the pilot was unable to decelerate the aircraft sufficiently within the available distance. This led to a runway excursion where the plane overran the paved surface and came to a stop in a nearby ravine.
All 39 occupants remained inside the cabin during the initial moments following the accident due to the intensity of the torrential rain. An evacuation was carried out several minutes later. The aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the inability to stop on the wet runway after a long touchdown.