Repartriation efforts for PNG pilot begin

By CLIFFFORD FAIPARIK
OFFICIALS of the airline which employed Captain Leslie Sefuve, who died in a crash on Saturday, arrived from Jakarta yesterday to meet his wife Mathilda in Jayapura.
The Papua New Guinea Consul-General in Jayapura, Colonel Jeffery Wiri, said the officials of Dimonim Air were arranging the repatriation of Sefuve’s body home to Eastern Highlands.
“They are now assisting with the repatriation of the late Captain Sefuve’s casket back to PNG,” Wiri said.
Wiri said the body was expected to arrive in Port Moresby today. The relatives want the body to be in Port Moresby for a few days before the final journey home to Eastern Highlands. Sefuve had one month left in his contract with the Indonesia-based airline. His permit was to expire on Sept 10. It is understood that he had been flying for the airline for less than two years.
The Twin Otter aircraft he was in charge of had left Tanah Merah airport at about 1.42pm on Saturday on what should have been a 42-minute flight to Oksibil. Sefuve had contacted the control tower in Oksibil 11 minutes before arriving. Contact was lost after that call.
The wreckage was discovered by locals on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation report on the crash will be released in 30 days, according to PNG Air Investigation Commission investigations manager Allan Stray.