Plane crash

By JESHER TILTO and LULU MARK
FOUR people, including a baby, sustained injuries when a plane they were travelling in crashed at the Giramben airstrip in Jiwaka yesterday. Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) acting board chairman Captain Aria Bouraga said they were investigating the accident involving a PAC 750-XL aircraft.
“The AIC learned of this accident through Facebook an hour after it occurred, and was able to confirm the information with the operator,” he said.
The AIC in a statement said there were four passengers onboard: the pilot, two adult passengers and an infant.
The aircraft was supposed to leave on a charter flight to Simbai.
According to a Kudjip (Nazarene) Hospital official, the pilot and the infant sustained severe injuries and were admitted at the hospital.
The two adult passengers who sustained minor injuries were discharged.
“Pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act, the accident site and all related evidence is under the jurisdiction of the AIC,” Bouraga said.
“The AIC appeals to all, especially the interested parties and persons not to interfere with the evidence and the investigation.
“A full investigation will be conducted as required under the Act and in accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
“Let the lessons that need to be learned from this accident be learned so that we can help improve the safety of our travelling public.”
Speaking to The National, the Christian Leaders Training College (CLTC) principal (named) said it was unfortunate that an incident like that happened.
People from the college, he said, were there to get the injured to the hospital.
“The CLTC assisted in transporting the passengers to the hospital,” the principal said.
“The pilot was taken to the hospital by others.”
He said the airline company started using the airstrip on Jan 30.