Port Moresby - Kokoda

On August 11, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Port Moresby - Kokoda experienced a crash involving De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by Airlines PNG, with the event recorded near Kokoda Central.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

13 people were known to be on board, 13 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 11, passenger fatalities: 11, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. On 11 August 2009, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, registered P2-MCB, with two pilots and 11 passengers, was being operated on a scheduled regular public transport service from Port Moresby to Kokoda Airstrip, Papua New Guinea (PNG). At about 1113, the aircraft impacted terrain on the eastern slope of the Kokoda Gap at about 5,780 ft above mean sea level in heavily-timbered jungle about 11 km south-east of Kokoda Airstrip. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. There were no survivors. Prior to the accident the crew were manoeuvring the aircraft within the Kokoda Gap, probably in an attempt to maintain visual flight in reported cloudy conditions. The investigation concluded that the accident was probably the result of controlled flight into terrain: that is, an otherwise airworthy aircraft was unintentionally flown into terrain, with little or no awareness by the crew of the impending collision.

Aircraft reference details include registration P2-MCB, MSN 441, year of manufacture 1975.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -9.2064°, 147.6236°.