Air Niugini plane overshoots runway in Micronesia, ditches into Pacific Lagoon

Wellington (New Zealand), Sep 28: A passenger plane ditched in a lagoon on Friday after overshooting the runway on a remote Micronesian island, local media reported.

The Air Niugini plane was attempting to land at Weno airport and ended up in Chuuk lagoon, Pacific Daily News reported, citing airport official Jimmy Emilio, reported news agency AFP.

Local journalist Makereta Komai, said, "46 passengers and 11 crew members on #AirNiugini flight that crashed in Chuuk, . The airline confirmed that its Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, P2-PXE landed short of the runway whilst landing at Chuuk Island of the Federated States of Micronesia this morning."

Photographs and videos posted on Twitter show locals helping passengers into boats beside the stricken half submerged plane. Papua New Huniea media reported that the plane was flown by a PNG pilot with an expatriate compatriot when it landed in the sea.

Air Niugini is Papua New Guinea's national airline. Australia's ABC reported that Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission was preparing to send a team to the accident site.