Date:	Thursday 12 July 1979
Time:	10:20
Type:	Britten-Norman BN-2A-9 Islander
Owner/operator:	Fiji Air
Registration:	DQ-FBO
MSN:	195
Year of manufacture:	1970
Total airframe hrs:	8835 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-540-E4C5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	10 km ENE of Bua -   Fiji
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Suva-Nausori Airport (SUV/NFSU)
Destination airport:	Bua-Dama Airport (BVF/NFNU)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Flight 71 departed Suva at 09:46 on a domestic 35-minute flight to Bua. When the aircraft failed to arrive there, a search and rescue operation was started. The wreckage of the aircraft was located by a ground party on 14 July 1979 in a tropical rain forest at an altitude of 1450 feet amsl.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was caused by the pilot in command continuing the flight into conditions where he lost visual reference with the surface which resulted in the aircraft colliding with the terrain."

BAAA-ACRO
ICAO Digest 25 (Circular 172)
World Directory of Airliner Crashes

Date/time	Contributor	Updates