What happened
On May 12, 2020, a Quest Kodiak 100, registered as PK-MEC, was performing a cargo transport mission for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). The flight was scheduled to travel from Sentani Airport (WAJJ) in Jayapura, Papua, to the Mamit Airstrip (WAVS) in Tolikara, Papua. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was carrying 694 kgs of cargo, and the pilot was the sole occupant on board.
Early in the morning, the pilot contacted Sentani Tower to request permission to start the engines and depart on a radial of 241° with a planned cruising altitude of 10,000 feet. After receiving clearance, the aircraft departed from runway 12 at 0627 LT. Following takeoff, the tower instructed the pilot to transition contact to the Jayapura Radar controller.
One minute after takeoff, the pilot issued a "MAYDAY" distress call on the Jayapura Radar frequency. The radar controller attempted to re-establish communication with the aircraft four separate times, but the pilot did not respond. In an effort to locate the plane, the controller directed another aircraft, PK-RCE, to visually scan the area. Shortly thereafter, the pilot of PK-RCE reported seeing debris floating in Sentani Lake and observed boats approaching the site. The aircraft was confirmed to have crashed into the water, resulting in one fatality.
Findings
Following the accident, investigators recovered the wreckage and the Global Positioning System (GPS) data card from the lakebed to assist in the investigation.