Investigation Summary
The flight departed Paramaribo at 10:00 local time for a mining region near the French Guiana border. The pilot in command was Soeriani Jhauw-Verkuijl, the wife of the airline's president, Amichand Jhauw. Upon reaching the Lawa Antino Airstrip, the crew encountered an obstructed runway, reportedly due to another aircraft. During the attempt to climb away and reset for a second approach, the aircraft lost control. The wreckage was found in dense forest, and the recovery of the flight data recorder was delayed until late October 2008 during a reconstruction of the site. The accident highlighted significant safety concerns regarding Surinamese inland airstrips, which lacked certification and proper infrastructure. This crash was the first of three fatal or hull-loss accidents involving Blue Wing Antonov An-28s between 2008 and 2010, eventually leading to the airline being placed on the European Union blacklist.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the accident was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) occurring during a go-around maneuver. Contributing factors included the presence of an obstacle on the runway and the lack of Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS) on the aircraft. The airline later cited inadequate infrastructure at inland airstrips as a systemic issue contributing to their accident record.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Surinam. Blue Wing Airlines - Antonov 28 crashed — On April 3rd 2008 an Antonov 28 of Blue Wing Airlines flew in Suriname into a mountain. Nineteen people were killed.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)
The aircraft was not equipped with GPWS, which the airline later cited as a factor in their inability to avoid terrain during low-altitude maneuvers.
Glushenkov TVD-10B
The twin turboprop engines powering the Antonov An-28.
Interesting Facts
- 01The pilot was the wife of the airline's president, Amichand Jhauw.
- 02The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent post-crash fire.
- 03Ten victims required DNA analysis by a Dutch forensic institute for identification.
- 04The passengers included a family of six from French Guiana and employees for the Telesur telecommunications company.
Safety Actions & Advisories
EU Blacklisting
Source ↗Following this and subsequent crashes, Blue Wing Airlines was added to the European Union blacklist of unsafe airlines in 2010 due to verified evidence of serious non-compliance with international standards.
Airstrip Safety Improvements
President Ronald Venetiaan called for increased safety measures and infrastructure improvements at the numerous uncertified inland airstrips across Suriname.