Aircraft damages nose in coffee freight run to remote village

THE New Tribes Mission and civil aviation authorities are investigating the cause of a plane incident involving one of the mission’s aircraft in a remote village in Raicoast, Madang.
The mission’s single engine Kodiak airplane carrying bags of coffee for villagers failed to take off and as a result damaged its nose landing gear at Mibu village in Nayudo local level government, Raicoast.
New Tribe managing director Neil Burleson said the pilot was not injured and flew to Madang.
He said that it was a simple and unfortunate accident for which New Tribes could not blame the government or the locals.
Burleson said New Tribes Mission would bear all cost of repairs and would not seek redress from the government or locals from the area.
He said they would repair both the aircraft and the airstrip and continue their work in the area to help churches and people living in remote rural areas.
Fisne Buro, a councillor from the Mibu village, said the airstrip was built by locals using their hands and were struggling to maintain it.
Buro said the government had stopped issuing funds to maintain the airstrip and left the locals to fend for themselves.
Madang Governor Peter Yama apologised to the people of Mibu and Nayudo for the past government’s negligence and assured them he would make funds available for the airstrip.