Plane stoned in Wau

By JUNIOR UKAHA
FLIGHTS in and out of the mining township of Wau in Bulolo, Morobe, have been suspended indefinitely after a plane was stoned by thugs at the airstrip yesterday.
North Coast Aviation chief pilot Thomas Keindip told The National that they had to suspend flights to the Wau airstrip after one of their planes – the Spirit of Bulolo – was damaged by drunkards who threw stones and beer bottles at the aircraft yesterday afternoon.
The North Coast Aviation (NCA) is the only third-level airline company providing air service to Wau and nearby areas.
The incident happened around 3pm as the plane, which had arrived from Lae earlier and dropped passengers, was about to leave for Waria.
The plane flies to the Garasa, Garaina, Bomora, Tekadu, Sim and Omora airstrips in the Waria local level government.
“Flights out of Wau are suspended indefinitely until further notice,” Keindip said.
“Drunkards had attacked (the aircraft) by throwing stones and beer bottles at the aircraft as it was lining up for take-off,” he said.
“The pilot aborted the take-off and returned to the parking bay. A suspect was apprehended.”
Bulolo MP Sam Basil said the aircraft later returned to the Nadzab airport NCA hangar for inspection.
Basil on his Facebook page said the drunkards hurled stones “towards the engine through the propeller causing damage endangering the lives of passengers onboard”.
He urged the residents of Wau town to assist police in apprehending the suspects. The plane Spirit of Bulolo was bought by the Bulolo district development authority to service rural areas in the district not connected by road to Bulolo or Lae.
It was managed and operated by North Coast Aviation under an agreement.