On 11 August 2009, the aircraft operating the flight, a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter, crashed into a forest in Kokoda Valley, a popular trekking site in Papua New Guinea, while carrying 13 people in bad weather.

A search and rescue operation was conducted by authorities and found the wreckage of the crashed plane on the next day, 12 August 2009.

Papua New Guinean Search and Rescue Agency then announced that everyone on board was killed instantly in the crash.

The plane deviated from its original flight path and the visual reference in Kokoda Gap was obscured by clouds, causing the pilots to not be aware of their proximity with the ground.

But the search and rescue operation was hampered by bad weather, low visibility and rough terrain.

[4][2]: 30, 5 The aircraft involved in the accident was a De Havilland Canada Twin Otter, registered in Papua New Guinea as P2-MCB.

AIC found no evidence that she had been trained by Airlines PNG for Global Positioning System (GPS).

AIC did not find any evidence that Souka had been trained by Airlines PNG for Global Positioning System (GPS) of the aircraft.

The AIC could only determine the cause of the crash without access to a CVR or FDR, as both flight recorders were not mandatory to be equipped on a Twin Otter.

The lack of both flight data and cockpit voice recorders adversely affected a full understanding of the accident by the investigation.

Alternatively, on board the aircraft was a small electronic GPS tracking and data telemetry device.

Based on eyewitnesses accounts and photographic evidence retrieved by ATSB, Kokoda Gap was obscured by clouds at the time of the accident, making it difficult for the pilots to know if they were in close proximity with the ground.

Given the surrounding mountainous terrain, the evident cloud in the Kokoda Gap, as in this instance, had the potential to severely limit the crew's escape options, increase their workload, and test their situational awareness.

The co-pilot, First Officer Rodney Souka, had been assessed for instrument approach procedures; however, he was not qualified for flight under the IFR.