Tanah Merah – Oksibil

On August 11, 2018 at 02:20 PM, Tanah Merah – Oksibil experienced a crash involving PAC 750XL - Pacific Aerospace Corporation, operated by Dimonim Air, with the event recorded near Oksibil Special Region of Papua.

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

9 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 88.9%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 7, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. On 11 August 2018, a PAC 750XL aircraft registered PK-HVQ was being operated by PT. Marta Buana Abadi (Dimonim Air) on unscheduled passenger flight from Tanah Merah to Oksibil. At the day of the occurrence the meteorological condition at Oksibil was below the requirement of Visual Flight Rule (VFR) weather minima and did not improve. Being aware that some flights had performed flight to Tanah Merah to Oksibil and returned, the pilot decided to fly to Oksibil. At 1342 LT, on daylight condition the PK-HVQ aircraft departed from Tanah Merah to Oksibil, on board the aircraft were one pilot, one observer pilot and 7 passengers. According to the passenger and cargo manifest, the total weight of passenger and the baggage were 473 kg. Prior to the departure, there was no record or report of aircraft system malfunction. At 1411 LT, the PK-HVQ pilot made initial contact to Oksibil Tower controller and reported that the aircraft was maintaining altitude of 7,000 feet over and the estimate time arrival at Oksibil would be 0520 UTC (1420 LT). The Oksibil Tower controller advised the pilot of the latest meteorological condition that the visibility was 1 up to 2 km and most of the area were covered by cloud. At 1416 LT, the pilot reported that the aircraft position was over Oksibil Aiport and the Oksibil Tower controller instructed the pilot to continue the flight to the final runway 11 and to report when the runway had in sight. The Oksibil Tower controller and pilots of other aircraft called the pilot but no reply. On the following day, the aircraft was found on a ridge of mountain about 3.8 Nm north west of Oksibil on bearing 331° with elevation about 6,800 feet. Eight occupants were fatally injured and one occupant was seriously injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration PK-HVQ, MSN 144, year of manufacture 2009.