Pilot Jenny Moala was calm at the controls of doomed PNG flight CG4684

IR traffic controllers saw no signs of alarm from pilot Jenny Moala at the controls of doomed flight CG4684. At about 10.53am (AEST) on Tuesday she is said to have radioed that the Airlines PNG Twin Otter turboprop was descending on to the Kokoda airstrip, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Her 11 passengers, including dairy farmer Max Cranwell, his daughter, mother of two Leanne Harris, and another seven Australian adventurers ready to take on the iconic Kokoda track, had been in high spirits at breakfast in Port Moresby that morning according to witnesses.Airlines PNG yesterday denied reports that flight CG4684 made an aborted landing.

Last words

Instead, at about 11.11am, with fellow PNG co-pilot Royden Soauka by her side, Ms Moala calmly radioed that "they had decided to climb and that they were climbing." Within moments the plane had hit a mountain more than 5000ft above sea level just five minutes from the airfield.

The team of rescuers winched down by helicopter yesterday reached the remote crash site just north of the village of Isurava. There were no survivors. Debris, body parts and wreckage were all that remained.

Victims named

The victims included father of two Peter Holliday, 28, and his cousin Euan Comrie, who were on their way to walk the track in a tribute to their grandfather; Sunshine Coast doctor June Canavan, 59 and friend, father of two Keith Gracie; Euan Comrie from Morwell, Victoria, who was on his first trip overseas; friends Hannah Kinross and Kelly Weire; part-time tour guide with the No Roads expedition Matthew Leonard, 28, of Melbourne; the two pilots, a Japanese national and a local guide Steven Jaruba.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has walked the Kokoda track, broke the news to the nation in Parliament. The devastated families had been notified earlier. "It's my sad duty to inform the House that we have some very bad news from Papua New Guinea," Mr Rudd told Parliament.

"At a little before 1pm Australia's High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea advised the Foreign Minister that he had been informed ... by officials on the ground at the crash site that they had concluded that there were no survivors from the crash.

Mr Rudd conveyed the thoughts and the prayers of the Parliament and the nation to the families involved in what he described as a tragic disaster. As families of the dead prepared to fly to PNG to bring their loved ones home, PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare called for a full investigation into the crash and extended his sympathies to the families of the crew and passengers on board.

Families and friends of late Pilot Jenny Moala (insert, top right) gather at Port Moresby's Jackson International Airport for her remains to be airlifted from the Owen Stanley Range

"I have requested the ministers of the various responsible authorities to commence investigations into the accident and to furnish a report to Cabinet," he said. "Kokoda holds historic and sentimental value to the people of Australia and it is with great sadness we experience such tragedy."

Four specialist investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have flown to PNG to assist the PNG Civil Aviation Authority with the collection and analysis of evidence.Of about 20 serious accidents in PNG since 1999, eight have involved Twin Otters."I can't recall anything worse. This could be the worst crash for PNG," PNG CAA director Joseph Kintau said

No mayday call

Mr Kintau said there had been no mayday call from flight CG4684 and the alarm was raised by ground controllers when there was no contact from the plane. He said it would be difficult to recover the bodies but he expected efforts to ramp up today. Mr Kintau said a helipad for helicopters would be built about 15m from the site.

"It's difficult terrain, it's a big challenge to fly there, we never pretend it's not going to be challenging," he said. PNG pilot and former air safety investigator David Inau flew over the site early yesterday before weather conditions worsened.

Horrific scene

He described a horrific scene. He said all that was visible from the air was a gaping tear in the canopy on the mountainside with the plane tangled in the trees with its wings folded around it. As weather deteriorated in the area and rain fell heavily, rescue helicopters were ordered to return to base.

PNG's Transport Minister Don Polye said he conveyed his deep sympathies to the families.He would not comment on claims PNG authorities had failed to properly investigate 19 air crashes which have killed 16 people, including three Australians and three New Zealanders, since 2000.

Airlines PNG defended its safety record in a written statement. "Following several accidents prior to 1995, Airlines PNG's predecessor Milne Bay Air had as a consequence made extensive changes to its operating procedures, including the introduction of two pilots on to the Twin Otter fleet," a spokesperson said.

Melbourne-based tour company No Roads Expeditions extended its "deepest sympathies to the family, loved ones and all the friends of those on board".

*** Wantoks,

Very sad indeed for PNG and Australian families who lost their loved ones. My heart goes to them.

Again, everything boils down to poor infrastructure and lack of foresight and proper planning for PNG's aviation industry. No wonder, Don Polye didn't comment on the previous crashes involving lost of human lives when asked by reporters. He should be ashamed of himself and his cohorts in government.

Unless, PNG govt do more and more research to establish the causes of such crashes as well as maintaining high safety standards of it's aviation industry, we'll continue to loose innocent lives at the hands of a govt who have the "don't care" mentality.

May we all mourn together in this loss for Papua New Guinea and Australia.

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