2026 Smart Air Cessna 208 crash
On 27 January 2026, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Smart Air serving the Nabire–Kaimana route, performed an emergency landing on the coast near the end of the airport's runway due to an engine failure. All passengers and crew members on board were reported safe.
Background
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, a single-engine turboprop aircraft commonly used for pioneer and regional flights. The aircraft was operated by Smart Air for subsidized passenger flights in the Papua region and its surroundings.
At the time of the incident, the aircraft was carrying 13 people, consisting of 11 passengers and 2 flight crew members: Pilot in Command (PIC) Capt. Tania K and Second in Command (SIC) FO Bagus.
Chronology
The aircraft took off from Douw Aturure Nabire Airport heading to Kaimana Airport at approximately 12:45–13:01 WIT. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot detected an engine malfunction that caused a loss of thrust power.
The pilot then contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and decided to perform a Return to Base (RTB). ATC cleared the aircraft to approach Runway 17.
However, while maneuvering back to the airport, the aircraft continued to lose altitude and was unable to reach the runway. For the safety of the passengers and crew, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing in a coastal area near Logpond or Kaladiri Beach, located at the end of the Douw Aturure Nabire Airport runway.
The aircraft finally landed in shallow waters or on the shoreline at approximately 13:14–13:40 WIT.
Evacuation and handling
After the emergency landing, all passengers and crew members were successfully evacuated safely by a joint team consisting of Basarnas, the TNI, the Polri, and personnel from the Douw Aturure Nabire Airport Authority.
The Head of the Nabire Basarnas Office stated that there were no fatalities or serious injuries in this incident. Several passengers were reported to have experienced trauma and underwent further medical examinations.
The Nabire Regional Police secured the scene and conducted preliminary information gathering. The process of towing the aircraft to the beach area was carried out for investigation purposes.
Investigation
The Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, stated that based on preliminary reports, the incident was suspected to be caused by an engine malfunction.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation coordinated with the flight operator, security forces, and relevant agencies to ensure the incident handling proceeded safely and under control. The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC/KNKT) is scheduled to conduct a further investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.
As of the latest official statement, the technical cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Impact
The incident resulted in no fatalities. While security was heightened around the scene at Douw Aturure Nabire Airport, no significant disruptions to overall flight operations were reported.
See also
- 2026 Indonesia Air Transport ATR 42 crash
- List of aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia