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Date: | Friday 22 December 1978 |
Time: | |
Type: | Cessna U206D Super Skywagon |
Owner/operator: | Talair |
Registration: | P2-SEL |
MSN: | U206-1409 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 9 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Near Marawaka, Eastern Highlands -
Papua New Guinea
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
Departure airport: | Goroka (AYGA/GKA) |
Destination airport: | Marawaka (AYMW) |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:The aircraft was on a charter flight from Goroka to Marawaka with 8 passengers on board. While cruising at 9000 feet the engine experienced severe vibration and lost power. The aircraft descended through cloud and crashed about 40 km south-west of Marawaka. The pilot, Robert Gray (24), and 7 passengers, including a parliamentarian, were killed. One passenger, a 10 year old girl, was injured but survived. The vibration was found to have been caused by failure of a pitch change pin in one propeller blade. The propeller had recently been overhauled.
Sources:
Canberra Times, 24 December 1978, page 1,
PNG Post-Courier, 27 December 1978, pages 1 and 4,
PNG Post-Courier, 28 December 1978, page 4,
Balus, vol. III, page 78.
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
12-Jun-2022 14:04 |
Turbulator |
Added |
01-Jun-2023 21:36 |
Ron Averes |
Updated |
25-Jun-2023 09:10 |
Ron Averes |
Updated |