Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 12 July 1995
Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Owner/operator: Milne Bay Air
Registration Number: P2-MBI
Location: 2 km E of Alotau-Gurney Airport (GUR) –
ÿ Papua New Guinea
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Component Affected: Terminal board between inverters and control relay.Terminal board between inverters and control relay.
Category: Accident
A Twin Otter crashed out of control during takeoff near the runway, resulting in an explosion and fire due to a terminal board failure and faulty wiring. Kerosene leakage from the cargo hold may have ignited the fire.A Twin Otter crashed out of control during takeoff near the runway, resulting in an explosion and fire due to a terminal board failure and faulty wiring. Kerosene leakage from the cargo hold may have ignited the fire.
Description
Shortly after takeoff for a flight to Dagura, the Twin Otter crashed out of control in a steep dive in shallow water, 2 km from the runway. An investigation by the Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigations revealed an explosion and fire occurred shortly after takeoff, causing the electrical system to fail. The fire’s source probably was the terminal board between the inverters and control relay. Kerosene carried in passenger luggage in the Twin Otter’s aft cargo hold possibly began leaking and was possibly ignited by faulty or age-deteriorated electrical wiring.
Primary Cause
Faulty electrical wiring and aging terminal board failure caused by leaking kerosene.Faulty electrical wiring and aging terminal board failure caused by leaking kerosene.Share on:
