Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 516
 A Merpati Nusantara Airlines DHC-6, similar aircraft to the one involved the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 March 1977 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain caused by pilot error |
| Site | Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 |
| Operator | Merpati Nusantara Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | MZ516 |
| ICAO flight No. | MNA516 |
| Call sign | MERPATI 516 |
| Registration | PK-NUP |
| Flight origin | Mutiara Airport, Palu |
| Destination | Lalos Airport, Tolitoli Regency |
| Occupants | 23 |
| Passengers | 20 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 13 |
| Survivors | 10 |
Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 516 was a domestic commercial passenger 50-minutes flight, flying from Mutiara Airport, Palu to Lalos Airport in Tolitoli Regency, Indonesia operated by a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300.[1]
The aircraft crashed into Mount Tinombala in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Killing 13 people on board.[2]
Aircraft
[edit]Accident
[edit]Aftermath
[edit]The accident was made in to a book named as The Tinombala Incident.[3] Following the accident, M. Aminudin A. wrote a story script on the crash which was subsequently adapted into a 116-minute film titled Operation Tinombala.[a] It was directed by M. Sharieffudin and starred W. D. Mochtar and Tutie Kirana.[4] A photo exhibition about the crash was held on march 29, 2022.[3]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Indonesian: Operasi Tinombala
References
[edit]- ^ "Komunitas Historia Sulteng peringati 45 tahun tragedi Gunung Tinombala" (in Indonesian). Antara Sulteng. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Pada 1977, Twin Otter Jatuh di Tinombala" (in Indonesian). Liputan 6. 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ a b beritapalu (2022-03-29). "Pameran Foto Mengenang Tragedi Jatuhnya Pesawat Merpati di Gunung Tinombala". beritapalu.ID. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ Wijaya, Situr (20 December 2020). "STORY : Pesawat Merpati Jatuh di Pegunungan Tinombala Sulteng, 13 Penumpang Tewas - InSulteng - Halaman 3" [STORY: Merpati Plane Crashes in the Tinombala Mountains, Central Sulawesi, Killing 13 Passengers]. iNSulteng.id (in Indonesian). p. 3. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
Categories:
- 1977 in Indonesia
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1977
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
- Merpati Nusantara Airlines accidents and incidents
- Accidents and incidents involving the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain