History of the Flight
On 26 November 2011, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft, registration PK-VVG, was operated by PT. ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation (Susi Air) on an unscheduled cargo flight from Nabire to Bilogai. The aircraft carried two pilots and a freight load comprising food, palm oil, and cement. Departure from Nabire occurred at 0855 local time (2355 UTC), with an estimated arrival time at Bilogai of 0045 UTC.
At 0042 UTC, the aircraft was reported above the touchdown zone at an altitude of 6,960 feet (10 feet above ground level), on a heading of 277 degrees, with an airspeed of 94 knots. The crew executed a go-around because a local villager was walking parallel to the runway, approximately two meters to the right of Runway 27.
During the go-around, the aircraft initially climbed with the nose up but subsequently lost altitude. The aircraft banked to the right and crashed on a corn farm at coordinates S 03 44.58 E 137 0.96, at an altitude of about 6,550 feet, on a heading of approximately 260 degrees. The aircraft was destroyed on impact.
Injuries to Persons
The captain sustained serious injuries and remained in the seat wearing the shoulder harness. The second in command was fatally injured and was found outside the aircraft at the crash site.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft was destroyed upon impact with the ground.
Probable Cause
During the go-around maneuver, the aircraft attitude was in a high nose-up position, causing the angle of attack to be too high and beyond stall margins, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
Safety Actions
The operator of the aircraft released several safety actions regarding this accident. The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) issued safety recommendations to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, including ensuring that unauthorized persons are prohibited from entering the active runway at Bilogai/Sugapa Airport and that warning signals be available to alert people not to enter the runway when aircraft are on approach or prior to takeoff.