ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 223193
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| Date: | Thursday 26 August 1976 |
| Time: | 10:45 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-RRJ |
| MSN: | 27-3760 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Manumu, Central -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Port Moresby (AYPY) |
| Lae (AYLA) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The aircraft was carrying 3 passengers on a private tour of Papua New Guinea. The pilot, who held a Commercial Pilot Licence and Class 1 instrument rating, filed a VFR flight plan from Port Moresby to Lae, planning to cross the Owen Stanley ranges via the Kokoda Gap. The pilot had been briefed by 2 briefing officers who pointed out significant features of the route. Although a minimum of 7500 feet is required to traverse the Gap visually, or 13,700 feet in IMC, the pilot reported approaching the Gap at an altitude below 3000 feet. Several minutes later the pilot reporting experiencing weather problems. The aircraft crashed well left of track about 6km from Manumu in a dead-end valley, at about 4000 feet. The pilot, David Paul Looker (24), his father, and 2 other passengers were killed. Significant factors were that visibility was severely reduced in heavy haze; and that the pilot, with 444 hours, had no experience of flying in PNG.
Sources:
PNG Post-Courier, 27 August 1976, page 1,
Canberra Times, 28 August 1976, page 7,
The Straits Times, 27 August 1976, page 6,
Balus, vol. III, page 2,
AustAirData
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Mar-2019 18:29 | TB | Added |
| 02-Oct-2019 07:12 | TB | Updated [Location] |
| 19-Mar-2020 10:14 | BEAVERSPOTTER | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 14-Jun-2022 19:25 | Turbulator | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jun-2023 16:33 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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