Investigation Summary
Flight 6715 was a scheduled domestic passenger service operating between Bima and Ruteng in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. The aircraft, registered as PK-NUK and named Sangihe, was carrying 10 passengers and 4 crew members. During the flight, the aircraft encountered poor meteorological conditions while traversing the Molo Strait, a narrow body of water between the islands of Rinca and Flores. The aircraft failed to arrive at Ruteng and was subsequently declared missing. The search and rescue operation was hampered by the same adverse weather conditions that likely contributed to the accident. Because the wreckage was never recovered from the sea, aviation databases and general consensus cite bad weather as the most probable cause, leading to a loss of control or a crash into the water at presumed coordinates 8°43′11.2″S 119°47′16.2″E.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the aircraft most likely crashed into the sea due to bad weather conditions. The aircraft and its 14 occupants remain missing and are officially written off.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
The aircraft was powered by two of these turboprop engines, which are standard for the DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 series.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a 1973-built de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300.
- 02The aircraft was named 'Sangihe'.
- 03The aircraft's Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) was 390.
- 04All 14 people on board (10 passengers and 4 crew) were killed.
- 05The aircraft wreckage was never recovered from the Molo Strait.
- 06The aircraft involved, PK-NUK, had previously been involved in a runway excursion in 1992.
- 07Bad weather is cited as the primary probable cause of the disappearance.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Cargo Hold Explosion Theory
Reference ↗While official sources cite bad weather as the cause, some alternative theories suggested that an explosion in the aircraft's cargo hold may have led to the crash.