Date:	Sunday 2 August 2009
Time:	11:00
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Owner/operator:	Merpati Nusantara Airlines
Registration:	PK-NVC
MSN:	626
Year of manufacture:	1979
Total airframe hrs:	27336 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	42 km N of Oksibil Airport (OKL) -   Indonesia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Jayapura-Sentani Airport (DJJ/WAJJ)
Destination airport:	Oksibil Airport (OKL/WAJO)
Investigating agency:	NTSC
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Merpati Nusantara Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter passenger plane was destroyed when it flew into the side of a mountain during a domestic flight from Jayapura (DJJ) to Oksibil Airport (OKL). Merpati Flight MZ9760D took off at 10:15 with an estimated time of arrival at Oksibil of 11:05. The pilots were operating under visual flight rules (VFR) procedures. This required them to remain clear of cloud. Ten minutes before impact the pilot in command mentioned climbing to 10,000 feet, and stated "if we cannot go visual I will turn left". The cockpit conversations did not exhibit any signs of stress or concern until two minutes before the impact, when the copilot mentioned haze and asked the captain if he could see. Fifty seconds before impact, the copilot expressed further concern and asked about the captain's intentions, and the captain said "climb, to the left". Forty-two seconds before impact the copilot asked if it was safe on the left.
The copilot became increasingly uncertain about the safety of the flight, specifically mentioning visibility and speed. From the recorded sounds, it is apparent that 13 seconds before impact, engine power was increased symmetrically to a high power setting. The Twin Otter struck the side of a mountain at an elevation of 9300 feet.
The wreckage was located August 4 with some difficulty because the ELT was unserviceable.

CAUSES: "The pilots did not maintain visual flight procedures when flying below lowest safe altitude, and the aircraft was flown into cloud in the vicinity of gap north west of Oksibil. The accident was consistent with controlled flight into terrain."

SKYbrary 
Departemen Perhubungan news releases
Inilah Nama Penumpang dan Awak Merpati yang Hilang di Papua (Kompas, 2-8-2009)
All 15 On Crashed Papua Plane Are Dead: Airline Director (Jakarta Globe, 5-8-2009)

photo (c) NTSC; nr Oksibil; August 2009

photo (c) NTSC; nr Oksibil; August 2009

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