Harrowing footage showing the final few minutes before a Boeing 737 crashed into a lagoon has been released by investigators.
The vision, which was filmed from the cockpit of the aircraft, shows the terrifying moment the 737 descends towards the ground before crashing into a lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia in September 2018.
The mobile phone footage was reportedly taken by an engineer on-board the plane.
In the footage, a pilot yells “we’re too low” seconds before the collision, and the video goes blank.
According to the investigation into the incident, the phone survived the accident and “provided clear imagery of the cockpit environment and instruments”, the report said, adding it was “an invaluable source of vital information” for investigators.
The aircraft belonged to Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea’s national airline, and was on a journey from Pohnpei to Chuuk before the incident.
Investigators said the aircraft missed the runway by 460 metres due to severe weather conditions that created poor visibility for the pilots.
Thirty-four passengers and 12 crew members were on-board the plane, and they all had to be rescued by local boats and US Navy divers.
According to Business Insider, six passengers were “seriously injured” in the crash as reported by Papua New Guinea’s Accident Investigation Commission.
The investigation revealed the soul fatality was a passenger who had not been wearing a seat belt and had received blunt-force trauma to his head.
The report said the pilots did not respond to warnings the plane was too close to the ground and did not follow landing checklists.
