PAC 750XL - Pacific Aerospace Corporation

The single engine airplane departed Grenchen Airport on a local skydiving mission, carrying 11 skydivers and one pilot. After all skydivers left the airplane, the pilot was returning to his base when he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in a grassy area located in the vicinity of the airport. The airplane was totally destroyed and the pilot was killed. All 11 skydivers landed safely.

The flight was planned to depart Giramben at 12:40, and track North for Simbai Airstrip, Madang Province at 9,000 ft AMSL. According to the pilot, the aircraft was loaded by NCA ground handlers following his instructions. The manifest was completed by one of the ground handler, who stated that the aircraft was loaded by the other ground handlers while he was completing the manifest in the vehicle, due to no proper shed for him to work from. The pilot also stated that at the time the loading was completed, and the passengers had boarded the aircraft, he observed that the winds were variable, blowing directly from the North and from the East as well. Recorded data showed that the aircraft commenced taxiing at 12:44. During the take-off roll, at the expected airborne point, about 500 m down the runway, as the aircraft accelerated with the airspeed approaching 60 knots, the right wheel hit a soft spot on the strip which dramatically reduced the momentum and speed of the aircraft, as described by the pilot. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft getting airborne briefly and got back on the ground again. The pilot recalled that by the time the aircraft got back on the ground he realized that he had passed the nominated committal point, which was identified during onsite activities to be about 540 m from the threshold of runway 16. The pilot opted to continue with the take-off roll, with full power hoping that the aircraft would regain speed on the remaining part of the strip to get airborne again. The pilot recalled reaching the end of the runway and getting airborne again with an airspeed of 50 kts airborne again, however, the right wheel got caught on the barbed wire of the perimeter fence that ran across to the runway, and subsequently impacted terrain. The pilot stated that he had lost consciousness at the time of the initial impact and therefore, had no recollection from thereon. The investigation found that the aircraft got airborne about 19 m past the end of runway 16. However, the aircraft’s main landing gears got caught on the perimeter fencing wire, subsequently impacting ground about 100 m from the end of the runway, then continued with the momentum and came to rest, in a local village garden about 160 m from the end of the runway. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. The pilot and passengers were rescued by the locals and taken to Nazarene General Hospital, Jiwaka Province, for treatment. The pilot, male adult and infant passengers sustained serious injuries, and the female passenger sustained minor injuries.

The airplane was on a VFR charter flight from Kiunga Airport, Western Province to Tekin Airstrip, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. During the landing roll aircraft sustained a left main landing gear assembly collapse and subsequent runway excursion. There were seven persons onboard: one pilot and six passengers. At 09:06, P2-BWC departed Kiunga Airport and arrived at Tekin circuit area at 09:40. The pilot established the aircraft on the final approach profile, he configured the aircraft for landing by fully extending the flaps and maintained an airspeed of about 80 knots (kts). The pilot also stated that he experienced a downdraft prior to touch down. The aircraft landed at 09:43 with an airspeed of 75 knots as recalled by the pilot. The aircraft touched down about 3m short of the airstrip edge boundary. The investigation determined that due to reduced damping effect of the oleo and/or the tyre of the left main landing gear, the landing gear attachment bolts sustained significant impact stress from the landing impact force and snapped, causing the gear assembly to collapse and separate from the aircraft. Subsequently, the left wing abruptly dropped, and the aircraft began veering to the left, towards the eastern edge of the airstrip. The aircraft continued veering to the left and subsequently the left wingtip struck the outer edge of the extended right-hand flap of P2-BWE, a wreckage of the same aircraft type owned and operated by NASL that was involved in a similar accident on 18 January 2022, causing P2-BWC to abruptly veer further left and skid across the airstrip boundary as the nose-wheel and right main wheel bogged into the ground. The pilot immediately shut down the engine and evacuated the passengers with the assistance of one of the Operator’s personnel who was also a passenger on board. There were no reported injuries and the aircraft sustained significant damage.

The airplane was conducting a single pilot VFR charter flight from Kiunga Airport, Western Province to Tekin Airstrip, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea when during the landing roll, the aircraft sustained a left Main Landing Gear (MLG) assembly collapse and subsequent runway excursion. There were eight persons onboard: one pilot and seven passengers. At 08:43, P2-BWE departed Kiunga Airport and arrived at Tekin Airstrip circuit at 09:18. The pilot then tracked towards the Northwest of the airstrip and made a left base turn for approach. The pilot stated that he established the aircraft on final approach with an airspeed of 120 kts. He subsequently configured the aircraft for landing; propeller pitch set to full fine, power set to maintain nominated approach speed, and full flap. The pilot indicated that he reduced airspeed while on approach and maintained an airspeed between 85 and 90 kts. As he flared the aircraft to land, the airspeed was between 75 to 80 kts. The touchdown speed, as he recalled, was 75 kts. The aircraft touched down two metres short of the designated landing threshold of runway18, which had an elevation of 15cm. Reviewing the flight records of the pilot, and from his interview, the AIC deduced that the pilot was not adequately familiar with Tekin Airstrip. The aircraft sustained substantial damaged. All the passengers and pilot evacuated the aircraft without injuries.

On 11 August 2018, a PAC 750XL aircraft registered PK-HVQ was being operated by PT. Marta Buana Abadi (Dimonim Air) on unscheduled passenger flight from Tanah Merah to Oksibil. At the day of the occurrence the meteorological condition at Oksibil was below the requirement of Visual Flight Rule (VFR) weather minima and did not improve. Being aware that some flights had performed flight to Tanah Merah to Oksibil and returned, the pilot decided to fly to Oksibil. At 1342 LT, on daylight condition the PK-HVQ aircraft departed from Tanah Merah to Oksibil, on board the aircraft were one pilot, one observer pilot and 7 passengers. According to the passenger and cargo manifest, the total weight of passenger and the baggage were 473 kg. Prior to the departure, there was no record or report of aircraft system malfunction. At 1411 LT, the PK-HVQ pilot made initial contact to Oksibil Tower controller and reported that the aircraft was maintaining altitude of 7,000 feet over and the estimate time arrival at Oksibil would be 0520 UTC (1420 LT). The Oksibil Tower controller advised the pilot of the latest meteorological condition that the visibility was 1 up to 2 km and most of the area were covered by cloud. At 1416 LT, the pilot reported that the aircraft position was over Oksibil Aiport and the Oksibil Tower controller instructed the pilot to continue the flight to the final runway 11 and to report when the runway had in sight. The Oksibil Tower controller and pilots of other aircraft called the pilot but no reply. On the following day, the aircraft was found on a ridge of mountain about 3.8 Nm north west of Oksibil on bearing 331° with elevation about 6,800 feet. Eight occupants were fatally injured and one occupant was seriously injured.

At approximately 0500 hrs, 12 December 2016, the pilot of ZK-JPU, arrived at Gisborne Aerodrome. The pilot was accompanied by the operator’s recently employed (trainee) loader driver and already at the hangar was a senior loader driver. The pilot conducted the preflight checks of the aircraft for the day’s agricultural aircraft operations. Earlier that morning the Managing Director of the operator had called the pilot of ZK-JPU. The Managing Director requested that after finishing the first aerial topdressing task at Tauwharetoi Station and prior to the next planned task at Waimaha Station, the pilot complete a task at Pembroke Station. This was because the Managing Director was unwell and unable to undertake the Pembroke Station task as planned. The pilot of ZK-JPU agreed to the additional task. The original work plan for the day was for both loader drivers to attend the first task at Tauwharetoi Station, with the senior loader driver providing oversight for the trainee loader driver. The pilot and the senior loader driver were then to proceed to the second task of the day, while the trainee loader driver was scheduled to return to the aerodrome with the loader truck from the first task. The expectation was for the pilot to go straight from the Tauwharetoi Station task to the Pembroke Station task and then proceed to Waimaha Station. ZK-JPU departed Gisborne Aerodrome at approximately 0515 hrs with the pilot and both loader drivers on board. The aircraft was to operate from a nearby private airstrip where the loader truck was already located, as the task had been commenced the previous week. The aircraft landed at the airstrip at approximately 0530 hrs and the pilot assisted the senior loader driver to get the truck ready, double-checking the calibration of the weigh scales and fuel drain, before commencing the task at approximately 0600 hrs. On the day of the accident another pilot from the same operator, who was operating a similar Pacific Aerospace Ltd 750XL, ZK-XLA, was aerial topdressing an area of Bushy Knoll Station, operating off the Tongataha airstrip. Bushy Knoll Station is to the north of Tauwharetoi Station, alongside the route to the next two tasks scheduled for ZK-JPU at Pembroke and Waimaha Stations. The pilot of ZK-XLA commenced operating at approximately 0555 hrs and completed two to three loads before hearing the pilot of ZK-JPU over the radio at approximately 0615 hrs. The brief conversation that followed consisted of an exchange of greetings and description of locations and intentions. Both pilots then continued with their tasks without further direct communication. On completion of the first task the pilot of ZK-JPU landed at the private airstrip and instructed the senior loader driver to pack up the gear and head back to base. The senior loader driver refuelled the aircraft with 100 litres of fuel, packed up the gear and gave the trainee loader driver the radio which had been used to communicate with the pilot. After a 15 minute break the pilot of ZK-JPU was observed by the senior loader driver getting into the left seat of the aircraft and the trainee loader driver into the right seat. The senior loader driver observed ZK-JPU take off, and then departed the airstrip in the loader truck, to return to the aerodrome. At approximately 0850 the pilot of ZK-XLA received a radio call from the pilot of ZKJPU asking “are you breaking left or right?” followed by the pilot of ZK-JPU stating “I am to your left”. ZK-JPU was then observed by the pilot of ZK-XLA flying behind and to the left of ZK-XLA. The pilot of ZK-XLA advised the pilot of ZK-JPU that he was “sowing the boundary of Bushy Knoll Station […] finishing my run and […] turning right to head back to the airstrip”. Spanning the valley near the boundary of Bushy Knoll Station, near to where the pilot of ZK-XLA was operating were a set of 110 kV high voltage power lines (consisting of six wires termed ‘conductors’, supported by towers). These conductors comprised the two circuits supplying electricity to Gisborne and the East Coast region. The span traverses the valley approximately east-west and the height above terrain at the mid-span of the bottom two conductors (the lowest point of the span) was approximately 200 ft. At 0857 hrs the power supply to Gisborne and the East Coast was interrupted. Finishing the topdressing run, the pilot of ZK-XLA commenced a right climbing turn in order to return to the airstrip and sighted ZK-JPU over his right shoulder. At this point the pilot of ZK-XLA noted that something was trailing from the left wing of ZKJPU. Realising that the item trailing from ZK-JPU’s wing was a wire, the pilot of ZKXLA transmitted “you are trailing wire’’, however no response was received from ZK-JPU. The pilot of ZK-XLA witnessed ZK-JPU continue down the valley, slowly rolling to the left before impacting terrain, approximately 700 m further to the south. A postimpact fire ensued with the pilot of ZK-XLA observing “a lot of black smoke”. The pilot of ZK-XLA immediately commenced circling the accident site and attempted to call the operator via cellphone. Unable to make contact the pilot activated the emergency communications facility on the flight following equipment installed in the aircraft and reported the accident to Gisborne Tower. The accident occurred in daylight at 0857 hrs, approximately 24 NM W of Gisborne Aerodrome, at Latitude: S 38° 44' 30.85" Longitude: E 177° 28' 37.41".

The single aircraft departed Nepalgunj at 1230LT bound for Jumla. About 35 minutes into the flight, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and attempted an emergency landing in a field. The aircraft eventually collided with an earth bank and came to rest near the village of Chilkhaya. Both pilots were killed and all 9 passengers were injured. The aircraft destroyed.

On 12 August 2015, a PAC-750XL aircraft, registered PK-KIG, was being operated by PT. Komala Indonesia on an unscheduled passenger flight from Wamena Airport (WAJW) Papua to Ninia Airstrip , Yahukimo, Papua that was located on radial 127° from Wamena with a distance of approximately 26 Nm. At 0733 LT (2233 UTC), the aircraft departed from Wamena Airport with an estimated time of arrival at Ninia of 2248 UTC. The flight was uneventful until approaching Ninia. On board the aircraft were one pilot, one engineer and 4 passengers. According to the pilot statement, an airspeed indicator malfunction occurred during flight. Video footage taken by a passenger showed that, during the approach at an altitude of approximately 6,500 feet, the airspeed indicators indicated zero and the aural stall warning activated. The aircraft then flew on the left side and parallel to the runway. Thereafter the aircraft climbed, turned left and impacted the ground about 200 meters south-west of the runway. The engineer on board was fatally injured, one passenger had minor injuries and the other occupants, including the pilot, were seriously injured. Two occupants were evacuated to a hospital in Jayapura Airport and four others, including the fatally injured, were evacuated to a hospital in Wamena.

On 7 January 2015 a Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL aeroplane was being used for tandem parachuting (or ‘skydiving’) operations at Taupō aerodrome. During the climb on the fourth flight of the day, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 engine failed suddenly. The 12 parachutists and the pilot baled out of the aeroplane and landed without serious injury. The aeroplane crashed into Lake Taupō and was destroyed.

A Pacific Aerospace PAC P-750 XTOL single engine aircraft was chartered to transport store goods and six passengers from Kiunga to Golgubip. Although Golgubip is in mountainous terrain and the weather in the area is often poor, the pilot was tasked to fly there without ever having been to Golgubip before. The terrain to the north north east of Golgubip rises gradually behind the airstrip. Visual illusions which may affect the pilot’s perception of height and distance can be associated with airstrips situated in terrain of this kind. On arrival at Golgubip, the pilot orbited and positioned the aircraft for landing. During the final approach he decided to discontinue the approach and to initiate a go-around procedure. The aircraft impacted terrain approximately 500 metres northwest of the airstrip and was substantially damaged. The six passengers were unhurt while the pilot sustained serious injuries. The pilot was treated in Golgubip following the accident, and was airlifted the next day to Tabubil, where he was admitted to hospital. It was later reported that the GPWS alarm sounded on approach until the final impact.