What happened
On 3 October 2012, a PAC 750 XL operated by Yayayan Pelayan Penerbangan Tariku was conducting a cargo transport mission in the Papua region of Indonesia. The aircraft, registered as PK-RWT, was performing its ninth flight of the day, traveling from Koropun to Dekai under Visual Flight Rules. The flight was carrying 975 kg of cargo and included one pilot and one passenger.
Following the company's flight following protocols, the pilot had previously reported the aircraft's arrival at Koropun at 0120 UTC. However, after departing for Dekai, the aircraft failed to provide the required arrival notification. When the flight following officer was unable to establish contact after the expected reporting window had passed, search efforts were prompted by an emergency signal. At 0145 UTC, the operator's manager was notified by the New Zealand Search and Rescue Agency that an ELT distress signal had been detected from PK-RWT.
An Indonesian search and rescue operation was launched following the receipt of this distress signal. On 5 October 2013, the wreckage was located in a mountainous area at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet near coordinates 04°28.62’S 139°39’E. The crash resulted in two fatalities and significant damage to the airframe.
Findings
Meteorological data from the Indonesian Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency indicated that between 0200 UTC and 0300 UTC, the route between Koropun and Dekai was experiencing the development of middle-level cumulus cloud formations.