Airlines PNG Flight 1600

On the afternoon of 13 October 2011, the Airlines PNG Dash 8 was conducting a regular public transport flight from Lae Nadzab Airport, to Madang Airport. On board were two flight crew, a flight attendant, and 29 passengers.

{{Video|float=right|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ss6v93qT8s P2-MCJ accident flight animation]}}

The plane departed from Nadzab at 16:47 local time. The captain, 64-year-old Australian William "Bill" Spencer, had logged 18,200 hours of flying experience, of which 500 were on the Dash 8. The first officer was 40-year-old New Zealander Campbell Wagstaff, with 2,725 hours logged, of which 390 were on the Dash 8.{{Cite news|last=Fox|first=Liam|title=Black boxes retrieved from PNG plane crash|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-15/png-crash-aussie-pilot-moved/3572814|accessdate=15 October 2011|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|work=ABC News|date=15 October 2011}} Spencer was the handling pilot. The aircraft climbed to {{convert |16,000|ft|m|0}} with an estimated arrival time at Madang of 17:17. Once in the cruise, the flight crew diverted right of the flight planned track to avoid thunderstorms and cloud.

The planned route required a steep descent into Madang and, although the aircraft was descending steeply, the propellers were left at their cruise setting of 900 rpm, causing the airspeed to increase. Neither pilot noticed the airspeed increasing towards the maximum operating speed (VMO); as they were "distracted by the weather." When the aircraft reached VMO as it passed through {{convert |10,500|ft|m|0}}, with a rate of descent between {{convert|3,500 and 4,200|ft/min}}, the VMO overspeed warning sounded.{{cite report |title=Airlines PNG P2-MCJ Bombardier DHC-8-103 Double propeller overspeed 35 km south south east of Madang |publisher=Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission |url=http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/FinRpts/2011/P2-MCJ%20AIC11-1010%20Final%20Report.pdf |date=15 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203062508/http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/P2-MCJ%20AIC11-1010%20Final%20Report.pdf |archive-date=3 February 2016 |url-status=live}}

Spencer asked Wagstaff to decrease the propeller speed to 1,050 rpm to slow the aircraft down. He raised the nose of the aircraft in response to the warning and this reduced the rate of descent to about {{convert|2,000|ft/min}}, however, the VMO overspeed warning continued.

Wagstaff recalled Spencer moving the power levers back "quite quickly." Shortly after the power levers had been moved back, both propellers oversped simultaneously, exceeding by over 60% their maximum permitted speed of 1,200 rpm and seriously damaging both engines. The noise in the cockpit became deafening, rendering communication between the pilots extremely difficult, and internal damage to the engines caused smoke to enter the cockpit and cabin through the air conditioning system.

The emergency caught both pilots by surprise. There was confusion and shock on the flight deck. About four seconds after the double propeller overspeed began, the beta warning horn started to sound intermittently, although the pilots stated afterwards they did not hear it.

The left propeller speed reduced to 900 rpm (in the governing range) after about 10 seconds, before overspeeding again. During this second overspeed, the left engine compressor speed increased above 110% of its nominal value, suffering severe damage. Almost simultaneously, the right propeller went into uncommanded feather due to a malfunctioning beta switch in the propeller control unit, while the engine was still running at flight idle. Wagstaff then told Spencer that the right engine had shut down. He then asked to Spencer if the left engine was still working. Spencer replied that it was not working. Both pilots then agreed that they had "nothing."

On the order of Spencer, Wagstaff made a mayday call to Madang Tower and gave the aircraft's co-ordinates. However, instead of checking emergency checklists and procedures, their attention turned to where they were going to make a forced landing.

The aircraft crash-landed near the banks of the Guabe River tail-first at {{convert|114|knots|km/h mph}}, with flaps and landing gear retracted. During the impact sequence, the left wing and tail became detached.

The wreckage came to rest {{convert|300|m|ft yd|0}} from the initial impact point and was engulfed by fire. The front of the aircraft fractured behind the cockpit and came to rest inverted. Of the 32 occupants of the aircraft, only the two pilots, the only flight attendant, and one passenger out of 29 survived.{{cite web|title=Plane crash kills 28 in Papua New Guinea |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/14/plane-crash-papua-new-guinea|accessdate=26 January 2016|work=The Guardian|date=14 October 2011 }}

The aircraft involved was a de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103, MSN 125, registered as P2-MCJ, that was manufactured by de Havilland Canada in 1988. It had logged 38421.3 airframe hours and 48093 takeoff and landing cycles and was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW121 engines.{{Cite web |title=Accident Description |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20111013-0 |accessdate=14 October 2011 |website=Aviation Safety Network |date=13 October 2011}}{{Cite web |title=Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-100 near Madang: 28 killed {{!}} Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives |url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dhc-8-100-near-madang-28-killed |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=www.baaa-acro.com}}{{Cite web |title=P2-MCJ FINAL REPORT |url=https://reports.aviation-safety.net/2011/20111013-0_DH8A_P2-MCJ.pdf |access-date=27 July 2024}}{{RP|page=24}}

The plane was carrying 29 passengers, mostly Papua New Guineans, with one reported to be a Malaysian-Chinese national, who was the only surviving passenger. Most of the passengers were parents trying to attend thanksgiving ceremonies ahead of their children’s graduation at Divine Word University in Madang.{{cite web|title=28 dead in Papua New Guinea plane crash|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/papuanewguinea/8826090/28-dead-in-Papua-New-Guinea-plane-crash.html|accessdate=26 January 2016|work=Telegraph|date=13 October 2011 }}

File:De Havilland Canada DHC-8 power levers.jpgs of the DHC-8 with the flight idle gate switches in the closed (left) and open positions]]

An investigation was carried out by the Accident Investigation Commission of Papua New Guinea (AIC) with assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The final report was issued on 15 June 2014. The AIC found that the pilot in command pulled the power levers beyond the flight idle gate and into the ground beta range, while attempting to slow the aircraft down during descent in bad weather. Ground beta (the propeller's reverse pitch range) should only be used for decelerating or reversing on the ground, as in flight it can cause uncontrollable propeller overspeed and damage to the engines.{{cite web|title=Collision with terrain – de Havilland Dash 8, P2-MCJ, 20 km S of Madang, PNG, 13 October 2011 |url=http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ae-2011-132.aspx |work=Australian Transport Safety Bureau |publisher=Australian Government |accessdate=15 October 2011 |date=14 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430151911/http://atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ae-2011-132.aspx |archivedate=30 April 2013 }}

The mechanism that alerts pilots that they are selecting beta range had been the subject of previous investigations and it was found that a manufacturer-approved service centre had a history of releasing defective parts back to operators.

Following a number of previous incidents of inadvertent selection of Ground Beta range on Dash 8 aircraft, that resulted in serious damage to engines, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration mandated that an additional safeguard was required to be fitted to aircraft operated by U.S. airlines. This system, called a Beta Lockout, was developed by the manufacturer and completely prevents inadvertent selection of Ground Beta range while airborne at high speeds, but operators outside the U.S. were not notified or required to fit the modification. The report also found that the crew had to deal with an overspeed of both propellers that caused large amounts of drag making the aircraft extremely difficult to control and that there was significant noise caused by the propeller tips exceeding the speed of sound and also smoke in the cockpit and cabin due to the damage to the engines and bleed air system.

The report criticised the pilots for their failure to control the aircraft's rate of descent and speed both before and after the overspeed and noted that one engine was still capable of providing some accessory services during the forced landing even though it could not provide propulsion. The pilots shut this engine down and therefore lost the ability to use hydraulic and electrical systems that might have improved the survivability of the forced landing.

After the crash, Airlines PNG decided to ground its entire fleet of 12 Dash 8s pending investigation.{{Cite news|title=Airlines PNG grounded after crash|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/airlines-png-grounded-after-crash/story-e6frf7jx-1226166366599|accessdate=15 October 2011|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=14 October 2011}} It also quarantined a fuel depot at Lae Nadzab Airport from which the crashed aircraft was refuelled before departing on the accident flight.{{Cite news|last=Witter |first=Anne |title=Airlines PNG Grounds Fleet of 12 Dash 8 Aircraft, Pilots from Australia and New Zealand Rescued |url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/230960/20111014/dash-8-airlines-png-crash.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707054530/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/230960/20111014/dash-8-airlines-png-crash.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2012 |accessdate=15 October 2011 |newspaper=International Business Times |date=14 October 2011 }}

Following release of the initial accident findings, Airlines PNG added the Beta Lockout mechanism as a modification to all their Dash 8s, preventing the inadvertent selection of Ground Beta in flight. Subsequently, Transport Canada in conjunction with the aircraft manufacturer released an airworthiness directive making it a mandatory requirement that all operators worldwide make these modifications.{{cite news|title=Airlines PNG modifies its Dash 8 aircraft after fatal plane crash in Madang in 2011|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-17/png-madang-crash/5530664|accessdate=17 June 2014|agency=Australia Network News|date=17 June 2014}}

On 14 October 2015, 4th anniversary of the crash, a candlelight memorial was held at Divine Word University in Madang, as most of the victims were parents attending their children's Graduation Day. The memorial service was attended by staff and students from the university.{{cite web|title=Candles in memory of 28 plane crash victim|date=14 October 2015 |url=http://www.looppng.com/content/candles-memory-28-plane-crash-victims|accessdate=26 January 2016|publisher= Loop PNG}}

The crash was featured in season 23, episode 4 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, titled "Power Play".{{Citation |title="Air Crash Investigation" Airlines PNG Flight 1600 (TV Episode) - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20864234/ |language=en-US |access-date=2022-06-07}}

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{{Reflist}}

• Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission
• [http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/AIC-11-1010_P2-MCJ_premim_report.pdf Preliminary Report] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130410064200/http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/AIC-11-1010_P2-MCJ_premim_report.pdf Archive], [http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3482404/png%20aic_11_1010%20p2-mcj%20preliminary%20report_1.pdf Alt], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130501220248/http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3482404/png%20aic_11_1010%20p2-mcj%20preliminary%20report_1.pdf Archive], [http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3482407/png%20aic_11_1010%20p2-mcj%20preliminary%20report.doc Doc format], [https://web.archive.org/web/20140212162436/http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3482407/png%20aic_11_1010%20p2-mcj%20preliminary%20report.doc Archive])
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160203062508/http://www.aic.gov.pg/pdf/P2-MCJ%20AIC11-1010%20Final%20Report.pdf Final Report]
• "[http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ae-2011-132.aspx Assistance to PNG AIC – Forced landing of Bombardier DHC-8-103, (Dash 8), P2-MCJ, 33 km south east of Madang, Papua New Guinea on 13 October 2011]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130430151911/http://atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ae-2011-132.aspx Archive]) Australian Transport Safety Bureau
• {{YouTube|KTpZs-A7Xrw|Animation of the last minutes of the flight}}

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