Bell 412 accident near Bitung, Id, August 3, 2011
On August 3, 2011 at about 6:29 am local time, a Bell 412, registered PKFUG, was destroyed in an accident near Bitung. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 10 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2011 · about 6:29 am local time
- Place
- Bitung, Indonesia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 10 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 412 · all 412s on the register
- Registration
- PKFUG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 3, 2011, at about 1429 local time (0629 UTC), a Bell 412 helicopter, registration PK-FUG, operated by Nyaman Air, crashed in the jungle on the side of Dua Saudara Mountain in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, approximately 25 km from the departure airport. The aircraft was being operated as a charter flight between Sam Ratulanggi Airport (WAMM) and Halmahera Island. The aircraft departed WAMM at 1426 local time and radio contact was lost at 1429 local time. The wreckage was located about 25 km southeast of the departure airport. The 2 pilots and 8 passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed. The accident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) of Indonesia. The NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative as the state of manufacture of the accident aircraft under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. All inquiries should be directed to the NTSC at the following: National Transportation Safety Committee Ministry of Transportation Building 3rd Floor Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur No. 5 Jakarta - INDONESIA www.dephub.go.id/knkt knkt@dephub.go.id
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Nyaman Air, Indonesia
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.