By Adelaide Sirox Kari – EMTV News, Port Moresby
2 senior investigators from PNG Accident Investigation are in Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia to assist the team investigating the crash of the Air Niugini PX 073 Boeing 737- 800 Series Aircraft.
Civil Aviation Minister, Alfred Manase, in a Media conference today, said that PNG will be part of a 3-country investigation team.
Minister Manase also said that the PNG AIC was informed that the Boeing 737 aircraft landed in the Chuuk lagoon about 60 meters short of the Chuuk International Airport runway.
Minister for Civil Aviation, Alfred Manase, said that the PNG Accident and Investigation Commission had sent 2 investigators to Chuuk 22 hours after the accident occurred. He also said the Federated State of Micronesia Minister for Transport, Communication, and Infrastructure in a letter, welcomed the offer of assistance.
Minister Manase said investigations are underway with downloading, decoding and analyzing of data from the flight data and cockpit voice recorder. This will be done in PNG by the PNG AIC.
Minister Manase said the Boeing 737 aircraft is submerged 33 meters in the sea, and if necessary for the investigation, the Aircraft will be salvaged.
Meanwhile, graphics video circulating on social media of the Aircraft landing midway on the runway and later running off the runway, Minister Manase says that its misleading and the plane landed 60 meters short of the runway.
Minister Manase says findings from the investigation are confidential and will be released once the final investigation report is compiled.
Meanwhile, the 4 seriously injured passengers have been transferred to Guam for further treatment, and the missing male passenger is yet to be found.
