Accident CASA/IPTN NC-212 Aviocar 200 PK-VSE,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 321795

Date:	Saturday 26 January 2008
Time:	09:35
Type:	CASA/IPTN NC-212 Aviocar 200
Owner/operator:	Dirgantara Air Services
Registration:	PK-VSE
MSN:	412/92N
Year of manufacture:	1993
Total airframe hrs:	11750 hours
Cycles:	13749 flights
Engine model:	Garrett TPE331-10R-512C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	6,3 km Se of Long Apung Airport (LPU) - Indonesia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Tarakan-Juwata Airport (TRK/WALR)
Destination airport:	Long Apung Airport (LPU/WALP)
Investigating agency:	NTSC
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Casa 212-200 aircraft, registered PK-VSE, was being operated by Dirgantara Air Service as a cargo charter flight from Tarakan Airport (TRK)to Long Apung Airport (LPU), Indonesia. There were three persons on board; two pilots and one aircraft maintenance engineer/load master.
The aircraft departed from Tarakan at 08:11 local time.
At the time of the occurrence the downwind leg of the circuit for runway 35 at Long Apung Airport was obscured by low cloud. The copilot twice warned the PIC "be careful sir, there is a hill". It is likely that the pilots were unable to keep the runway in sight during the maneuvering on downwind for runway 35. The pilots did not maintain visual flight procedures, and flew the aircraft into instrument meteorological conditions prior to colliding with the terrain.
Searchers subsequently found the aircraft wreckage at an elevation of 2,766 feet, about 3.4 NM from Long Apung Airport.

CAUSES: "The crew did not appear to have awareness of the aircrafts proximity with terrain until impact with terrain was imminent. The pilot attempted to continue the flight in instrument meteorological conditions, below the lowest safe altitude."

Accident investigation: