Deputy Prime Minister and Civil Aviation Minister Viliame Gavoka says he has been briefed on an incident involving a Northern Air Britten Norman Islander (BN2A) aircraft at Gau Aerodrome yesterday at 8:30 a.m. He said the incident has been classified as an accident.

According to a press statement issued on the Fiji Government Facebook page, Mr Gavoka said upon landing at Gau Aerodrome, the aircraft landed beyond the designated landing area and sustained significant damage after colliding with a rock mound at the runway’s end.

“Fortunately, both the two crew members and three passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft, and no injuries were reported. Immediate emergency response procedures were activated,” he said.

“In accordance with Section 12 of the Civil Aviation (Occurrence Reporting and Investigation) Regulation 2009, I have identified an Aircraft Accident Investigator who will conduct a thorough investigation. Our primary objective is accident prevention, rather than assigning blame or liability.

“As the investigation progresses, further updates will be provided.”