What happened
On 21 July 2023, a Cessna 208B EX, registration PK-SNI, was conducting an unscheduled cargo and passenger flight from Nabire to Bilorai, Papua. The flight, operated by PT Smart Cakrawala Aviation, was carrying five passengers and approximately 1,003 kg of cargo.
Upon approaching Bilorai Airport, the crew received reports of clear weather and calm winds from airport personnel. The aircraft touched down on Runway 09 at approximately 0127 UTC with an indicated airspeed of 85 knots. Immediately after the pilot engaged the propeller reverse thrust, the aircraft began tilting to the left. The pilot, suspecting a burst in the left main landing gear tire, attempted to correct the deviation by applying maximum right rudder and adjusting the control column. Despite these efforts, the aircraft drifted off the left side of the runway, traversed wet and slippery grass, and eventually came to a halt when the left main gear dropped into a ditch. There were no injuries among the two crew members or five passengers.
The investigation
The KNKT investigation focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft and the sequence of the landing. Investigators examined the aircraft's damage, which included a burst left main tire, damage to the cargo pods, and structural failures in the landing gear assembly, specifically a sheared bolt and a displaced fork draglink spring bearing.
Data was retrieved from the Garmin G1000 flight data log, as the aircraft was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the left main wheel assembly had been replaced only seventeen days prior to the incident. The aircraft was confirmed to be operating within its approved weight and balance limits at the time of the occurrence.