16 fatalities

Fatal crash during go-around at Manari Airstrip (P2-DNL)

Manari, Papua New GuineaLanding (descent or approach)

On December 23, 1979, a GAF Nomad N.22 (registration P2-DNL) operated by Douglas Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Manari, Papua New Guinea during landing or approach. 16 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft entered a left bank and subsequent nose-down attitude during a go-around maneuver. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft crashed near Manari Airstrip during a climb following an aborted landing attempt, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

During an approach to the Manari Airstrip, the flight crew elected to perform a go-around procedure. While the aircraft type was in the climbing phase of flight, the plane experienced a left bank followed by a sudden nose-down pitch. This maneuver led to a collision with the ground in the vicinity of the airfield.

The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were no survivors among the 16 fatalities recorded during the accident.

Findings

While the specific reasons for the decision to abort the landing remain undetermined, the sequence of events indicates that the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent immediately following the initiation of the climb.

Probable cause

The aircraft entered a left bank and subsequent nose-down attitude during a go-around maneuver.