From: MAF Communications
Date: February 22, 2005 11:11:37 AM EST
Subject: MAF-Austraila accident
Dear Board, Staff members, State Councils and MAF friends,
With a heavy heart I am writing to advise that shortly after 1 pm today an MAF-Australia Twin Otter aircraft had a circuit area accident at Wobegon in the highlands of western Papua New Guinea. The pilots, Richard West and Chris Hansen, both New Zealanders, were killed. Crewman Stanley Torea of PNG and some of the ten passengers received light injuries.
We are devastated by this news, but we know that God is sovereign and that His Holy Spirit will sustain. Team members have flown to Telefomin and the plan is for the Hansens and Wests to will travel to Mt. Hagen tomorrow morning. Mark Emerson, our COO, Alrena Martis, our HR Manager and I will fly to Mt. Hagen tomorrow morning to support staff and families.
Please uphold Cherie, Larissa and Marcus West along with Janice, Rochelle, Jessica and Simeon Hansen and their families in their grief.
Yours in Christ,
Bill Harding
CEO
MAF-Australia
23 February 2005 Update From HCJB World Radio
MAF PLANE CRASHES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA, KILLING 2 CREW MEMBERS A Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) aircraft crashed in a remote area of Papua New Guinea the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 22, killing the pilot and copilot, both from New Zealand. Capt. Chris Hansen of Rotorua and Capt. Richard West of Auckland sustained fatal injuries when the Twin Otter they were flying crashed while circling the Wobegon airstrip near Tabubil in the country's highlands. The cabin attendant and 10 passengers suffered only minor injuries, and most walked to the nearby village of Bimin. A helicopter and various MAF aircraft were dispatched to the accident site, and a clinic was set up at Agali with doctors flown in by MAF. The cabin attendant and one passenger were later flown to the Tabubil Hospital for observation. In conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority, MAF-Australia has begun an investigation into the accident. The families of the flight crew will be flown to Mt. Hagen for support and a memorial service. Debriefing and counseling is being arranged for the staff. MAF planes regularly fly to more than 300 of Papua New Guinea's remotest airstrips, providing a lifeline for the isolated churches and communities. Efforts will be made to continue providing air service in the Tabubil region. (Mission Aviation Fellowship)
