The PNG Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) published the final report on the investigation conducted into a Cessna U206G accident that occurred at Dodomona Airstrip, Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
According to AIC on 7 June 2023 a Cessna 206 aircraft, registered VH-MZL, owned and operated by Strickland Bosavi Foundation Limited (SBFL) was conducting a Private VFR flight from Dodomona Airstrip to Mougulu Airstrip, Western Province.
During take-off, the aircraft overran the runway, overturned and came to rest on its back. The passengers on board the aircraft including the piolet and three passengers. There were no injuries reported.
The AIC was notified of the accident on the day of the occurrence and immediately commenced an investigation.
The investigation found that the runway excursion was primarily caused by the pilot’s nominated Acceleration Check Point (ACP) on an undulation and the pilot’s inadequate situational awareness.
The runway was considerably wet and slippery, and there was wind gusts (tailwind) present. The ACP was not adjusted to cater for the prevailing conditions. Furthermore, the nominated ACP was not in an appropriate position considering that there was a chance that the pilot would abort take-off at that point.
When the decision to abort was made, the pilot did not have enough distance to decelerate before reaching the undulation.
With a high ground speed, the aircraft became airborne at the undulation. When the aircraft unexpectedly became airborne, with a relatively high groundspeed due to tailwind, the aircraft travelled forward in the air losing approximately 70 meters of runway length critical for braking. Further contributing to the accident was the pilot’s perception of the prevailing wind conditions.
Despite perceiving the wind to be varying between 5-8 knots, the actual wind during take-off was stronger than anticipated. The pilot’s reliance on a limp, unserviceable windsock and failure to use nearby surroundings to assess wind conditions led to an incorrect judgement. This lack of awareness about wind conditions significantly influenced the pilot’s decision-making during the take-off roll.
