The aircraft lost contact shortly after takeoff, and helicopter search and rescue have since identified a crash site.
A SAM Air Cessna Caravan, tail number PK-SMW, lost contact with controllers earlier today while on an intra-Papau flight. Communications were lost shortly after takeoff from Elelim Airport as the airplane headed to Poik Airport. The aircraft was reported to be carrying four paying passengers and two crew members at the time.
Hours later, footage emerged of an airplane wreck discovered in the vicinity of the missing flight. Black smoke plumed from the crash site, and the aircraft is barely recognizable, with only its empennage seemingly still intact.
Details on what happened are sparse, and the condition of the passengers and crew is unknown. Speaking to press, the head of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Air Marshall Henri Alfiandi, said that poor weather conditions had prevented any closer investigation at this point. He said,
"The victim's condition is not yet known because the helicopter has not managed to approach the position due to weather factors. The evacuation plan will be carried out tomorrow morning, June 24, 2023."
Basarnas plans to send a team of 10 - 15 people to the site to evacuate all passengers.
Papau is one of 22 islands in the Aitutaki atoll of the Cook Islands.
Survivors unlikely
The Cessna was around 12km (16 NM) to the southeast of Elelim Airport when it met its fate. Although rescue parties are unable to get to the crash site at present, largely due to foggy conditions, the likelihood of survivors remains slim.
SAM Air Safety Manager Bambang Gunawan told detik.com that, although the airline is praying for a miracle, at present, they do not expect survivors. He commented,
"If you look at the conditions, it seems that no one has survived, but hopefully there will be a miracle because the helicopter that found it earlier could not find any survivors."
About SAM Air
Semuwa Aviasi Mandiri (SAM) Air was founded in 2019 and undertakes passenger charter services with a small fleet which includes the Cessna Caravan and a De Havilland Canada Twin Otter.
Just days ago, its other aircraft, the DHC-6 Twin Otter, suffered a runway excursion at Pattimura Ambon Airport in Indonesia. The aircraft was doing a 180-degree turn after landing when the left tire failed, and the aircraft ran onto soft ground.
Back in January, the same aircraft had another runway excursion, this time at Beoga in Papau. It suffered damages to the right wing, and needed help from the locals to get it out of its sticky predicament.
Today’s accident is tragic, and is further demonstration that, although traveling by air is safer than it ever has been today, operating in these remote environments still comes with some significant challenges. Our thoughts are with the families and people affected.