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| Date: | Monday 8 January 2024 |
| Time: | c. 09:30 |
| Type: |  Pacific Aerospace 750XL |
| Owner/operator: | North Coast Aviation |
| Registration: | P2-NCA |
| MSN: | 134 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 9304 hours |
| Cycles: | 13875 flights |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6A-34 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 13 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bungawat Airstrip (AYUT), Kabwum, Morobe -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Lae-Nadzab Airport (LAE/AYNZ) |
| Bunguwat Airstrip (AYUT) | |
| Investigating agency: | AIC PNG |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Pacific Aerospace 750XL experienced a runway excursion when landing at Bungawat Airstrip (AYUT), Kabwum, Morobe.
The occupants were not injured and the aircraft received substantial damage.
Causes [Contributing factors]
The investigation identified factors related to operational, weather, airstrip condition, geographical location, topography of the airstrip and aircraft handling/manoeuvring techniques by the pilot from final approach to touchdown.
The aircraft had arrived in Bungawat Airstrip outside the operational time recommended by the operator, which according to the operator is a normal practice for the operator to schedule flights into Bungawat earlier in the morning (between 07.30 to 09:00) when the area is more likely to be clear of cloud build ups. Weather patterns associated with the geographical location of the airstrip include cloud formation during the day as the surface begins to heat up. Prior to departing from Nadzab, the crew obtained a weather update from the operator's local agent based in Bungawat, and the weather was reported to be fine, calm wind and clear skies.
Upon arrival in the Bungawat circuit area, the crew observed clouds build up in the final approach path. The crew then maneuvered the aircraft Northeast, overhead the strip for further aerial inspection and assessed it as being suitable for landing. The crew observed that the right side of the final approach path was clear of clouds, so they elected to continue approach for landing on Runway 32. The crew tracked for a right circuit from overhead and continued the approach. Due to clouds in the final approach path, the crew conducted an oblique pattern from the start of right base, straight to short finals and touchdown to maintain visual clearance of the cloud build ups on the final path to landing. Therefore, the crew flew the aircraft further right of the normal track for finals, before heading adjustments were made to the aircraft tracking, to line up with runway heading for a safe touchdown.
The investigation found that as a result of the aircraft overshooting centerline on short finals, the IP applied control inputs to correct the overshoot prior to touchdown. The overshoot on short finals appeared to be the outcome of an insufficient heading change when the aircraft intercepted the extended centerline from the oblique finals flight path. Therefore, the aircraft drifted further left of centerline on touchdown.
The investigation also found that the loss of control immediately after touchdown left of centerline was initiated by the incorrect landing technique, with an offset heading to the right and insufficient flare on touchdown, resulting in a flat landing from a lower than required attitude for landing. The incorrect landing technique on touchdown, combined with a wet and damp strip surface, created a controllability situation that the IP was not able to recover from. The investigation further noted that the aircraft touched down further up the runway in relation to the normal touchdown point, and this, combined with the flat landing indicated a high approach angle (high profile) on approach leading to a steeper descent on short final, resulting in an unstable approach on short finals.
The aircraft touched down with a full right nose deflection and a heading to the right and a lowered right wing. This is because as the aircraft touched down, the pilot was still in the process of correcting the aircrafts tracking from left of centerline and the aircraft was turning to the right as the wheels contacted the ground.
However, following touchdown, the pilot overcorrected the aircrafts tracking from left of centerline to the right, resulting in the aircraft overshooting centerline and a loss of directional control as the aircraft veered further to the right towards the runway edge. As the aircraft tracked past the centerline towards the right, the pilot changed the aircraft heading from right to left to maintain centerline tracking. However, due to the sides of the airstrip surface being wet and damp, coupled with the aircraft's momentum, it was difficult to maintain directional control and the aircraft tracked past centerline and drifted towards the right edge of Runway 32 where the right wing contacted the shrubs as the right main wheel dropped into the drainage ditch on the runway edge.
When the right main wheel dropped into the drainage ditch, the aircraft's belly lowered closer to the ground, and this resulted in the propeller striking the ground. The propeller continued to strike the ground as the aircraft tracked along the strip edge up to the parking bay, where the aircraft's right main wheel contacted the edge of the parking bay.
Upon the right wheel contacting the edge of the parking bay, the aircraft's nosewheel and right main wheel momentarily raised off the ground, resulting in the aircraft pivoting around the left main wheel as it spun to the left at about 130 degrees while continuing to drift into the parking bay, where it came to rest.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.thenational.com.pg/investigation-starts-on-kabwum-plane-crash/
PNG AIC
History of this aircraft
Ex ZK-JQO Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 10 April 2016 | P2-NCA | North Coast Aviation | 0 | Bunguwat Airstrip | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Jan-2024 07:34 | Petropavlovsk | Added |
| 13-Jan-2024 07:36 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, ] |
| 13-Jan-2024 07:37 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, ] |
| 13-Jan-2024 08:20 | harro | Updated [Date, Other fatalities, ] |
| 13-Jan-2024 10:57 | RobertMB | Updated [Date, Time, Cn, Location, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 11-Dec-2024 12:47 | ASN | Updated [Total occupants, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 11-Dec-2024 12:48 | ASN | Updated [Category, ] |
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