Airlines PNG DHC-8-102 plane crash
Madang, Papua New Guinea
Updated on
The de Havilland Dash 8-100 operated by Airline PNG took off from Lae-Nadzab, Papua New Guinea, for a passenger flight to Madang, Papua New Guinea. 28 passengers and 4 crew were onboard. The plane crashed about 12 NM (20 km) south of Madang, killing 28 occupants. 4 people onboard survived.
The descent profile to Madang airport was steep because of the proximity of the Finisterre Ranges, a mountain range in north-eastern Papua New Guinea. The pilot-in-command was hand-flying the aircraft because the autopilot was unserviceable. He was maneuvering the aircraft visually to avoid cloud and thunderstorms.
While descending, the overspeed warning horn sounded shortly followed by both propellers overspeeding simultaneously and exceeding their maximum rpm limit by about 60%. Seconds later, the crew declared an emergency and reported that both engines had stopped. The aircraft force-landed at 18 NM (33 km) south of Madang Airport, on sparsely timbered terrain on the north side of Buang River. The aircraft disintegrated due to impact with trees and ground and engulfed in flames.
Rescuers rapidly localised the wreckage, which was on fire. The four survivors were the captain, the first officer, a flight attendant and a passenger.