A preliminary report into the Air Niugini cargo
plane accident of Oct 19, 2013, in Madang reveals it was loaded with 330
cartons of cigarettes belonging to British American Tobacco which had not been
weighed before they were loaded onto the aircraft.
P2-PXY where it came to rest in the creek.-Pictures courtesy of Accident Investigation Commission. |
Aerial view of PXY and runway 07/25 in Madang. |
Aerial view of PXY and ground witness marks. |
The aircraft
later failed to take off and ran off the runway, based on an assumption that
the total load was 3, 710kg, according to the PNG Accident Commission
preliminary report released last month,
“The operator’s cargo supervisor started after the
accident that PXY had been loaded on the assumption that each carton weighed
12kg, but that the cartons had not been weighed before they were loaded onto
the aircraft,” the report said.
The Avions de Transport Regional ATR42-320
freighter, registered P2-PXY, was taxiing to depart from the runway bound for
Tabubil, via Mt Hagen, when the accident occurred.
There were three people on board, the
pilot-in-command, first officer, and a DHC-8 captain on board whose function
was to provide guidance during the approach into Tabubil.
The report said the pilot-in-command reported later
that the controls felt very heavy in pitch and he could not pull the control
column back in the normal manner.
“Flight data recorder information indicated that
after approximately two seconds, the pilot-in-command aborted the takeoff and
selected full reverse thrust, and he reported later that he had applied full
braking,” it said.
“It was not possible to stop the aircraft before the
end of the runway and it continued over the embankment at the end of the runway
and the right wing struck the perimeter fence.
“This caused the aircraft to yaw to the right and it
entered a creek beyond the perimeter fence at approximately 45 degrees to its
direction of movement.
“The right outboard wing section caught fire and the
flight crew escaped through the hatch in the cockpit roof.
“The pilot-in-command, who was the last to remain on
board, discharged the fire extinguishers in each engine and switched off the
battery master switch before leaving the aircraft.
“The Madang Airport Fire and Rescue Service
responded promptly and a fire truck began to spray the fire in the right wing
with foam and water.
“The foam and water were exhausted before the fire
was full extinguished but the fire did not spread to the right inboard wing
section.
“Almost immediately after the accident, local people
entered the aircraft through the hatch in the cockpit roof and the right door
at the rear of the fuselage and began removing items from the cockpit and the
cargo compartment.
“The aircraft was seriously damaged during the
accident by the impact with the airport perimeter fence, the fire and partial
immersion in salt water, and subsequently by the salvage operation during which
it was lifted out of the creek and moved to a position on the airfield.”
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