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Wed, 1 Sep 2010
PORT MORESBY, PNG (ABC/AAP/SMH) ---- Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has confirmed three Australians were among those killed in a plane crash on a remote island in Papua New Guinea.
Mr Smith said a Cessna Citation jet was carrying three Australians and two New Zealand citizens when it crashed on Misima Island on Tuesday.
The fifth person was being treated for heavy bruising. It is believed heavy rain was a contributing factor.
The charter plane - carrying five people - overshot the runway, crashing into trees and bursting into flames, on landing at Misima Island yesterday - 200 kilometres off PNG's south-east tip.
Mr Smith said consular officials will travel to the crash site today.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand high commission in PNG confirmed two New Zealanders were on board the flight.
Australian Reef Pilots managing director Craig Southerwood said an employee, a 61-year-old Sydney man, had died in the crash.
The company is guarding the wreckage from raiders and has supplied local clinics with diesel to get power on.
Mr Southerwood said the employee was on his way to board a ship to guide it through the Great Barrier Reef and Australian waters. He said he believed there were other deaths apart from the Australian marine pilot but did not give any other details.
Other Australian Reef Pilots staff were waiting to meet the marine pilot.
“They are obviously quite shocked,” Mr Southerwood said. “This area is very remote and it was raining heavily at the time of the crash. We are all incredibly saddened by the loss of a much-loved member of our team”
Acting chief executive PNG Ports Jerome Peniasi said the Australians on the plane were working with Australian Reef Pilots near Misima Island in Milne Bay.
“We are aware of the accident, but we still don't have much information as communication has been difficult,” he said.
Locals said that the only the pilot survived. It was unclear how many people were aboard the charter plane.
The crash comes almost a year after nine Australians died in a light plane crash in PNG near the Kokoda Track. Last month, the PNG government promised to complete an accident investigation report on the Kokoda crash by November.
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