Niugini Aviation P-750 XSTOL bursts tyre at Goroka Airport
By Andrew Curran.
A Niugini Aviation-operated Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL aircraft burst its left main landing gear tyre while landing at Goroka Airport on August 5, 2026. The National Airports Corporation (NAC), which operates the airport, said the aircraft was P2-RNA (msn 184).
The NAC said the aircraft landed on Runway 25L at approximately 17:00 (local time) when the tyre burst. Aero South Pacific’s Goroka Airport Brief notes that Runway 25L is a 1,646-metre sealed strip.
"The Pilot-in-Command maintained control and brought the aircraft to a safe stop adjacent to the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Station," the NAC statement reads. "It was carrying 18 bags of coffee and had two people on board. No casualties were reported."
Photos show the tyre had almost separated from the landing gear rim on the 14-year-old aircraft. The aircraft came to a stop on the grass just off the runway, but the right wingtip remained protruding over the runway edge marking, creating a potential wingtip collision hazard and forcing the NAC to temporarily close the airport.
"The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Station team responded within two minutes, applying precautionary foam to the landing gear area to ensure safety," the NAC statement continues. "Airport operations staff activated emergency protocols, issued a NOTAM at 17:21 closing Runway 25L, and informed all relevant operational stakeholders of the runway closure."
As a result, an PNG Air ATR was required to turn around and return to Port Moresby (POM).
Swift fix and Niugini Aviation’s P-750 XSTOL is back in the air
According to the NAC, Niugini Aviation flew in a recovery team from Mount Hagen that same evening and fitted a new tyre to the aircraft.
"The aircraft was repositioned to the apron at 01:05 and a full runway inspection confirmed the surface was clear and safe. Runway 25L was then reopened at 04:00 on August 6, 2026, ahead of scheduled morning operations."
P2-RNA, which appears to be based at Goroka, resumed flying on August 7. The P-750 XSTOL (formerly the PAC 750XL) is a single-engine, low-wing turboprop utility aircraft built in New Zealand.
Niugini Aviation has a minimal online presence, and its website is out of order. Papua New Guinea's aircraft register, maintained by the country's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and current as of April 2026, indicates that Niugini Aviation has five aircraft, including four P-750 XSTOLs and one Cessna 206, although flight-tracking websites indicate that most are not currently in use.
Niugini Aviation's abbreviated Facebook page suggests it operates government-subsidised freight flights from remote airstrips to larger towns, transporting commodities such as coffee to market.
Photos: National Airports Corporation.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com