On 13 April 2016, a Britten-Norman BN-2T Turbine Islander operated by Sunbird Aviation crashed about 1,200 m (0.65 nmi; 0.75 mi) short of runway 7 at Kiunga Airport[1] in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea.

[4][5][6][7] The investigation determined that the right engine had failed for unknown reasons at an unverified time, but most likely earlier in the flight.

The flight was carrying 11 passengers, including three children, and an Australian pilot, identified as Benjamin Andre Picard.

However, the pilot had set the rudder trim tab in the far nose-left position to compensate for decreased thrust on the right side, and the propeller had automatically feathered; the time required to set the trim and feather the propeller suggests that the engine failed earlier in the flight.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the flaps were fully extended and that the pilot had applied full nose down elevator trim to no avail.

Additionally, the Weight and Balance Computation Sheet used for calculating the CG was incorrect, as it did not account for major repairs performed to the aircraft after another crash several years prior.

The investigation also noted that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was past its mandatory replacement date and did not activate as designed when the aircraft crashed.

The failed ELT did not hamper rescue efforts, as eyewitnesses easily found the crash site, but the nonfunctional and expired ELT together with the incorrect and incomplete computation sheet led investigators to conclude that the aircraft was not technically airworthy at the time and that Sunbird had violated regulations in operating the flight.

[8] The investigation also recommended that the ATS radio system in the accident vicinity be upgraded to eliminate static interference.