What happened
On March 8, 2024, at approximately 01:00 UTC, a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter, registered as PK-SNE, departed from Juwata International Airport (WAQQ) in Indonesia. The aircraft, operated by PT. Smart Cakrawala Aviation, was performing a commercial flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) toward Binuang Airport (WAQG).
Following its departure, the aircraft failed to establish communication with air traffic services, leading to a distress alert (DISTRESSFA) being issued. The wreckage was eventually located on March 10, 2024, situated within a tropical rainforest approximately 5 nautical miles southeast of Binuang Airport. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft, leaving one fatality among the passengers and one crew member seriously injured.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) provided notification of the accident, noting that the incident occurred in Indonesian airspace. The Indonesian Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT) is the authority responsible for the active investigation into the crash circumstances.