Hard Landing with Substantial Damage and Pressure to Move the Aircraft
A Part 135 Cessna Caravan on a charter from Wewak to Vanimo lands hard at Vanimo. The propeller strikes the runway, the nose gear collapses and the aircraft stops on the runway. One passenger has a cut to the forehead requiring stitches; the pilot has a sore back but refuses an ambulance. The operator's duty manager tells the pilot to move the aircraft off the runway, arrange a local mechanic to inspect it and continue the return charter with another aircraft. The pilot has not notified CASA PNG or the PNG Accident Investigation Commission. The aircraft has substantial damage to the firewall and propeller. The airport is a certified aerodrome with an airport emergency plan. The operator's insurance policy requires immediate notification. The next scheduled arrival is in 40 minutes. The duty manager asks what must be done first.
1. What notification and preservation actions are required after this occurrence, and who should initiate them?
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This is an accident, not a routine hard landing. The aircraft has substantial damage to the firewall and propeller, and a passenger required medical treatment; substantial damage alone brings it within the PNG accident notification framework. The pilot or operator must notify the PNG Accident Investigation Commission and CASA PNG immediately, without waiting for the duty manager or insurer.
The airport emergency plan should be activated if not already done, and police or ambulance should attend the injured passenger. The aircraft should not be moved except to prevent injury, fire or obstruction, and then only under AIC direction. The pilot should preserve the wreckage, record names and contact details, photograph the scene, secure the flight documents and logbook, and not discuss speculation with media. The operator should also notify its insurer as required by the policy. The duty manager's instruction to move the aircraft and continue the charter is not authority to override accident notification.
2. How should the operator handle the next scheduled arrival and the return charter, and what operational restrictions apply to the aircraft and crew?
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The next arrival has priority for safety: the runway must be inspected, the accident site secured, and the aerodrome operator must decide whether to close or restrict the runway. The airport emergency plan and NOTAM process should be used to warn inbound traffic.
The damaged aircraft is unairworthy and must not be flown; it needs recovery by a licensed engineer and likely a special flight permit if it is to be moved by air. The crew should not be rostered for the return charter until they have been assessed, rested and, if necessary, medically cleared; the pilot's sore back should be checked. Another aircraft may operate the return charter only if it is serviceable, the crew is current and within duty limits, and the operator has re-planned fuel, weather and performance. The accident investigation must not be compromised by commercial pressure.