Carpediem DHC6 near Ilaga on Sep 18th 2019, aircraft impacted terrain
Last Update: September 27, 2019 / 07:44:58 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 18, 2019
Classification
Accident
Airline
Carpediem Aviation
Departure
Timika, Indonesia
Destination
Ilaga, Indonesia
Aircraft Registration
PK-CDC
Aircraft Type
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
ICAO Type Designator
DHC6
The local policestation at Ilaga reported the weather enroute was "good enough" for the flight. The aircraft had departed Timika in clear skies, and the weather at Ilaga was good. The search for the aircraft had to be stopped due to thick fog which always set in around noon.
On Sep 19th 2019 the Search and Rescue Team (SAR Team) reported the aircraft has not yet been found. The primary focus was location 30 nautical miles from Timika at heading 055, that area was searched twice without success. The search is now being expanded. The last known radar position of the aircraft was S4.1801 E137.4067 (true track 55 degrees 37.5nm from Timika).
On Sep 20th 2019 the SAR team reported, they are now searching for PK-CDC with 7 aircraft (4 from Susi Air, two Carpediem Twin Otters and one CN-235 of Indonesian Air Force). The search is made difficult by poor weather conditions. The search area is currently defined by center position 04°10.65'S 137°24.48'E (precisely 37.5nm from Timika at true track 56) and 5nm around that position. Mountain tops rising up to 14,200 feet are within that area (editorial note: Mode-S data received from the aircraft transponder suggest the aircraft maintained 13,000 feet MSL on QNH). So far no signal has been received from any ELT, hence the SAR still do not rule an emergency landing out, the SAR team still hold hopes for the people on board.
On Sep 21st 2019 the SAR team reported search efforts still did not locate the aircraft, the weather still made the search difficult. 4 sorties were flown but could not establish visual contact with the ground due to fog. The SAR team estimates the aircraft may be at a ridge about 15nm from Ilaga and about 42.5nm from Timika. All further search efforts focus on the slopes of that ridge.
On Sep 22nd 2019 the SAR team reported that a chopper found a wreckage at a mountain ridge about 10km from Mamontoga Village, an Indonesian Air Force CN-235 also located the wreckage. It is too early to confirm whether the wreckage is PK-CDC.
On Sep 24th 2019 the SAR team released a photo of the crash site stating the wreckage is at position S4.124197 E137.488433 at 13543 feet MSL, it hit a wall about 80 to 90 degrees steep. A landing site for helicopters has still not been found. There is hope that the wreckage can be reached within the next 3 days, a weather improvement has been forecast. (Editorial note: the position is on the eastern side of the U Pass, so called for its shape, right at the eastern side of the entry into and above the U pass.
On Sep 25th 2019 the SAR team reported a first mission was able to reach the wreckage and evacuated the four bodies taking them to Timika. The next missions are dedicated to find and recover the black boxes.
On Sep 27th 2019 climbers managed to reach the tail of the aircraft, which had separated from the rest of the aircraft, and recover both flight data and cockpit voice recorder. The helicopter subsequently carried climbers and black boxes back to Timika, where the black boxes were handed over to Indonesia's accident investigators of the KNKT/NTSC.
Flights between Timika and Ilaga usually take between 30 to 40 minutes depending on weather.
Initially Authorities had reported the aircraft belonged to Rimbun Air later changing the aircraft belonged to PT Carpediem Aviation Mandiri.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 18, 2019
Classification
Accident
Airline
Carpediem Aviation
Departure
Timika, Indonesia
Destination
Ilaga, Indonesia
Aircraft Registration
PK-CDC
Aircraft Type
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
ICAO Type Designator
DHC6
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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