ASN Aircraft accident Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander P2-SBA Vanimo Airport (VAI)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 11 June 2012
Type:Silhouette image of generic BN2T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander
Operator:Sunbird Aviation PNG
Registration: P2-SBA
MSN: 2138
First flight:
Engines: 2 Allison 250-B17C
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Vanimo Airport (VAI) (   Papua New Guinea)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:?
Destination airport:Vanimo Airport (VAI/AYVN), Papua New Guinea
Narrative:
A Britten Norman BN–2T Turbine Islander aircraft struck the water about 40 metres short of the threshold of runway 12 at Vanimo Airport, PNG, during a landing approach in rain.
The aircraft was being operated on a charter flight, and was returning from Wasengla, located about 40 nm southwest of Vanimo. There were five persons on board; one pilot and four passengers.
There was no significant impact damage to the airframe or engines. However, the aircraft was substantially damaged due to sea water ingestion in the engines and airframe.

Probable Cause:

AIC comments
- The aircraft was certified as being airworthy when dispatched for the flight.
- The pilot did not hold a valid PNG Flight Crew Licence, and his Class One Medical Certificate had expired 46 days prior to the accident.
- The Operator did not have systems or procedures in place to ensure their pilots met CASA Flight Crew legislated requirements.
- The pilot attempted to continue visual flight in extremely marginal visual conditions.
- The pilot lost situational awareness and allowed the aircraft to descend into the water on the landing approach.
- The pilot had commenced wearing prescription lenses that had photochromic tinting. The intensity of the tinting may not have automatically reversed quickly enough to allow the pilot to adjust his vision acuity to the lower light conditions as the aircraft entered the area of heavy rain.

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: AIC PNG
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 4 years and 6 months
Accident number: AIC 12-1006

Classification:
Undershoot/overshoot

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This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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