Accident Piaggio P.166 VH-PAU,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25658
 
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Date:Wednesday 8 March 1961
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic P66P model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piaggio P.166
Owner/operator:Papuan Air Transport (Patair)
Registration: VH-PAU
MSN: 366/015
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Aircraft missing
Location:Missing Owen Stanley Range -   Papua New Guinea
Phase: En route
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Popondetta (AYGR)
Destination airport:Port Moresby (AYPY)
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
The aircraft was on a 25 minute flight from Popondetta over the Owen Stanley ranges to Port Moresby. The pilot reported over Kokoda and the last transmission heard was 10 minutes before ETA when the pilot reported encountering bad weather. A subsequent search involving up to 30 aircraft and lasting 17 days found no trace of the aircraft. Pilot Geoffrey Neil Wallace (25) was the sole occupant. (Anecdotal reports indicate that the wreckage was found — during the search for Piper Aztec VH-SPM — over 9 years later on 1 October 1970 at 9400 feet, off course, in the Owen Stanley ranges. There appear to be no public records to support this claim.)

Sources:

Canberra Times, 13 March 1961, page 1,
PNG Post-Courier, 14 January 1970, page 5,
https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/piaggio-136-166/piaggiop166.html
https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/252393-p166-vh-pau-lost-png.html

Images:


PNG, 1961

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
27-Sep-2008 01:00 ASN archive Added
21-Jan-2010 21:26 TB Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
08-Nov-2010 15:03 TB Updated [Operator]
08-Nov-2010 15:10 TB Updated [Narrative]
16-Apr-2011 09:36 TB Updated [Aircraft type, Cn]
13-Jun-2022 09:53 Turbulator Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Photo]
26-Jun-2023 05:39 Ron Averes Updated [[Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Photo]]

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