What happened
During an enroute phase of flight, the outer section of the port wing detached from the airframe. The incident involved a three-engine aircraft christened 'Tokana'. Following the structural separation, the machine descended rapidly and impacted the terrain in the vicinity of Redesdale. There were no survivors among the 10 occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the detachment of the port wing resulted from a structural failure driven by the presence of fatigue cracks. Additionally, atmospheric conditions, specifically turbulence and strong winds, were identified as contributing factors to the event. In response to this accident, regulatory authorities mandated that all aircraft undergo x-ray inspections to detect signs of cracking and other structural weaknesses.