With so much regret, the Transport and Civil Aviation Minster Walter Schnaubelt has announced tragic news regarding the plane P2 -SAM. Minister Schnaubelt highlighted that the rescue and medical team finally reached the crash site of P2- SAM, and doctors have confirmed that there were no survivors. “It’s now confirmed that all five passengers on board including the pilot died on impact when the plane ran into the thick forest and mountainous terrain en-route to Nadzab airport, Lae around 10:30am on the 22nd of December, 2024.” “As Minister and all agencies under my portfolio, we grieve with the family of the deceased and pass our sincere condolences to those families who lost loved ones on this tragic flight between Wasu airstrip and Nadzab airport, Morobe province.” Minister stated that the Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) has commenced an investigation into this occurrence (reference: AIC 24-1003), in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Minister has outlined brief facts surrounding the tragic incident:

• A Britten Norman BN-2B-26 Islander aircraft, registered P2-SAM, owned and operated by North Coast Aviation Limited, departed Wasu Airstrip at 10:12 am on a single pilot charter flight with four passengers on board, en route to Nadzab, with an estimated arrival time of 10:47 am.
•  At 10:30 am, the NiuSky Pacific Limited’s Aviation Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) received a distress signal from the aircraft. An emergency Distress Phase was subsequently declared, and the ARCC was activated to conduct the Search and Rescue (SAR) of the aircraft. The signal included a Position Update Alert with coordinates in the Sapmanga Area, Morobe province.

He added that in coordination with NiuSky Pacific Limited, a search was conducted with the assistance of an air operator (Manolos Aviation) based in Morobe. Unfortunately, due to the weather in the area, the search had to be discontinued and resumed the next morning, Monday 23 December 2023, and the accident site was located at 8:52 am. “A team of investigators was deployed on Monday 23 December 2023 to Lae to conduct investigations out of the North Coast Aviation's base and conduct on-site investigation activities.” “The Aviation Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is continuing its efforts in rescue and extraction coordination.” According to North Coast Aviation Limited’s passenger manifest, there were five individuals on board the said aircraft: the pilot and four passengers. “It is with deep regret that I inform you that all five individuals on board have been confirmed deceased.” Minister clarified furthermore that the wreckage was partially consumed by fire. In addition to this, the wreckage is in a challenging terrain with high altitude and dense vegetation further complicating extraction efforts. The AIC is conducting assessments to determine the feasibility of entering the site for investigation. “The priority is the extraction of the victims, which must be completed before further investigation activities can proceed.” “If extraction efforts continue to be challenging due to the conditions at the site, the wreckage may need to be cut open to recover the bodies.” Minister further added that should this also prove difficult or impractical, an airlift of the main wreckage to a more accessible location will be considered to facilitate the extraction process, thus, to support this effort, the AIC has engaged a pathology expert with experience in aircraft accident sites to travel to Lae and assess the layout and condition of the victims. Additionally, a senior investigator will evaluate the structural integrity of the aircraft to determine if an airlift is feasible. These steps are critical to ensure a respectful and thorough handling of the victims and to enable the AIC to carry out its investigative responsibilities effectively. Given the challenging terrain and the specialised resources required for victim extraction and wreckage handling, the AIC anticipates significant logistical and operational costs. These include deploying trained personnel, engaging specialised equipment, and ensuring on-site safety and efficiency. “In this regard, we respectfully seek the government’s intervention to request additional funds for the AIC to properly conduct the on-site investigation and manage associate logistics” Additional support and funding are vital to ensure the integrity of the investigation and to fulfil our mandate under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation he said. “You may recall a similar fatal accident involving the same operator, aircraft type, and vicinity on 23 December 2017, while this historical context is noteworthy, the AIC emphasizes that no direct association has been made between the two events at this stage.” “Our investigation will meticulously examine the circumstances and contributing factors of the current occurrence to ensure valuable lessons are derived for future safety improvements.”