Air Niugini crashes into the sea on landing

AIR NIUGINI B737-8BK P2-PXE (CN 33024)     File Photo

An Air Niugini aircraft has sunk in a lagoon after overshooting the runway in the Federated States of Micronesia at 9:30am (local time) this morning and ended up 160 metres from the runway.  Niugini flight PX 73 was travelling from Pohnpei Airport (PNI/PTPN) to Port Moresby via Chuuk/Weno International Airport (TKK/PTKK) when the accident happened. All 36 passengers and 12 crew were reportedly rescued safely from Air Niugini’s partially submerged Boeing 737-800, after local fishers took their boats out to the crash site almost immediately. Locals reported broken bones are among the passenger injuries after the flight came in “very low” for its landing, and ended up in the water. The plane is just over 13-years-old and started it's life with Air India Express in April 2005 before moving to Jet Airways in July 2010 and then joined ANG in September 2013. This is not the first incident this aircraft has been in as it was involved in a collision at Port Moresby in May this year. It was stationary at the Jacksons international airport when a cargo plane clipped its wing while turning. Air Niugini had only recently begun flying that route with the larger Boeing planes, a spokesman said. “United is mostly the only airline that comes out here, and it’s been that way for years … There are flights every day but this has never happened before. Mainly because this route is considered one of United’s hardest routes for the 737, so they … send their best pilots out here for the island hopper.” Air Niugini is PNG’s national airline.

Aircraft Details
Airline: Air Niugini
Code: PX / ANG
Flight Number: PX 73
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-8BK
Registration: PX-PXE
Serial Number: 33024
First Flew: 01/04/2005
Age: 13 Yrs 5 Mnths
Engines: 2 x CMFI CMF567B27