Whitegrass - Port Vila

On August 1, 2011 at 05:00 PM, Whitegrass - Port Vila experienced a crash involving Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair, operated by Air Taxi, with the event recorded near Port Vila All Vanuatu.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

7 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 7 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 6, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The single engine aircraft was performing a taxi flight from Whitegrass Airport located on Tannu Island, to Port Vila, with six passengers and a pilot on board. While approaching Efate Island, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls and attempted an emergency landing in the garden of the Lagon Resort, south of Port Vila. On touchdown, the airplane lost its nose gear and left main gear, cartwheeled and came to rest, broken in two. All occupants were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Aircraft reference details include registration YJ-FLY, MSN 207-0362, year of manufacture 1976.