Minister: 2011 crash report not for public yet

 A REPORT on the crash of an Airlines PNG aircraft nearly two years ago, killing 28 people, has been completed but will not be released to the public just yet, Civil Aviation Minister Davis Steven says. 

The crash, on Oct 13, 2011, was in the “directly involved person” stage, Steven said.

He said last Friday the report could not be made public as people directly involved in the investigation had to be consulted. They include Airlines PNG, the PNG accident investigators, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, Bombardier Inc (aircraft manufacturer), Hamilton Sundstrand (proper manufacturer), Pratt and Whitney Canada (engine manufacturer), Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

He said the final report would make public the facts and analysis behind all of the investigation’s findings, and would detail fully with the safety actions taken.

He said the tragedy was remembered by everyone in the country “and we owe it to those who lost their loved ones almost two years ago to understand how and why it happened to make sure it never occurs again”.

“I stress that the investigation is a no-blame investigation conducted solely in the interest of improving aviation safety, and its findings are not to be used to apportion blame or liability,” Steven said.

He said engineering and flight data recorder reports had been completed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and handed to the Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission, which was finalising the investigation and finishing the report.