Lenakel – Ipao

On October 21, 1966 at 12:00 AM, Lenakel – Ipao experienced a crash involving De Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover, operated by Air Melanesiæ, with the event recorded near Mt Tokugmera (Tanna Island) All Vanuatu.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

8 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 7, passenger fatalities: 7, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The three engine aircraft departed Lenakel Airstrip (Tanna Island) on a flight to Ipao, Futuna Island, Vanuatu. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and as the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted. Three days later, the burned wreckage was found in a gorge located on Mt Tokugmera (1,084 meters high) located in the center of Tanna Island. All eight occupants were killed, including the airline's Chief Pilot and Operations Manager, Paul H. Burton.

Aircraft reference details include registration VP-PAD, MSN 5002, year of manufacture 1947.