ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229009
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| Date: | Friday 13 September 2019 |
| Time: | 06:15 |
| Type: |  MBB BK 117C-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Tribal Aurora Helicopters |
| Registration: | P2-TAH |
| MSN: | 7504 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1996 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5449 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 4 nm SE off Silur Mission -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Buka Airport (BUA/AYBK) |
| Rabaul-Tokua Airport (RAB/AYTK) | |
| Investigating agency: | AIC PNG |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On 13th September 2019, at about 10:15 local time, a BK117 C-1 helicopter, registered P2-TAH, operated by Tribal Aurora Helicopters departed from Buka Airport for the planned destination Tokua Airport. The planned estimated time
of arrival at Tokua Airport was 11:25.
At 10:45 the pilot made a routine report to Air Traffic Services that his operations were normal, below 5,000 ft and he was estimating Tokua at 11:25. The helicopter failed to arrive at Tokua and wreckage of the helicopter was subsequently located approximately 0.9 nm seaward of the coast about 4 nm south east of Silur Mission. The passenger was uninjured and swam to shore. The pilot was fatally injured, and his body was later found in the water by local residents, about 200 metres from the impact point.
The passenger informed the AIC investigators that they flew through bad weather and had to divert to the nearest land, on the south east of New Ireland Province. The cloud was very low and visibility was significantly reduced in rain.
Causes [Contributing factors]:
During a VFR flight, the pilot of P2-TAH initially encountered adverse weather conditions and attempted to divert,to avoid them. However, as the flight progressed, the pilot encountered further deteriorating weather conditions, to a point in which he was unable to maintain visual references.
The pilot descended to 200 ft probably in attempt to go below the cloud base. As the pilot was manoeuvring to regain visual references, he was unable to maintain effective control of the flight parameters of the helicopter, and impacted into the surface.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://twitter.com/pontuna2run/status/1172460242258423808
https://breakingnews.travel/334794/breaking-news-tribal-auroras-bk117-yellow-helicopter-is-missing-over-the/
https://www.tah.com.pg/welcome
https://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-625470.html
http://www.looppng.com/png-news/nip-helicopter-accident-under-probe-86970
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/water-impact-scud-running-png/
http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/PreRpts/AIC%2019-1003%20P2-TAH.pdf
Location
Media:
BK117 Impacts Sea, Scud Running off PNG: Pressing on in bad weather #helicopter descended during an over sea transit to stay in VMC but ultimately impacted the water as visibility deteriorated further. https://t.co/visJVBdqxC #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/3Jq9ZUAmmh
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) January 30, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Sep-2019 15:56 | Petropavlovsk | Added |
| 13-Sep-2019 15:58 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 13-Sep-2019 16:04 | harro | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 13-Sep-2019 16:47 | Geno | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 14-Sep-2019 07:01 | Petropavlovsk | Updated [Source] |
| 14-Sep-2019 08:11 | gerard57 | Updated [Registration, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 14-Sep-2019 09:14 | RobertMB | Updated [Cn] |
| 14-Sep-2019 09:36 | TB | Updated [Location] |
| 14-Sep-2019 09:44 | Petropavlovsk | Updated [Time, Cn] |
| 16-Sep-2019 05:56 | gerard57 | Updated [Source] |
| 29-Sep-2019 18:11 | harro | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Jan-2021 18:54 | harro | Updated [Nature, Narrative, Accident report] |
| 04-Jan-2021 18:56 | harro | Updated [Accident report] |
| 29-Jan-2021 10:26 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Accident report] |
| 30-Jan-2021 11:22 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Accident report] |
| 05-Dec-2023 20:43 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Embed code] |
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