Shocking cockpit footage captures Boeing 737 crashing into sea after missing Pacific island runway by 1,500ft

An air crash investigation has released terrifying cockpit footage from a flight that crashed into the sea, about 1,500ft short of the runway.

The Air Niugini jet plunged into the sea just off the coast of Weno Island in Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, last September.

One man died and another nine were injured in the crash, which saw 34 passengers scramble to safety from the Chuuk Lagoon, where the plane hit the water.

The clip shows the cockpit view heavily obscured by the storm so that pilots were unable to see the runway at Chuuk International Airport.

The co-pilot can be heard frantically shouting: "Too low! We're too low! We're too low!" (PNG Accident Investigation Commission)
PNG Accident Investigation Comission.

In the clip, the co-pilot can be heard frantically shouting: "Too low! We're too low! We're too low!" seconds before the plane ploughs into the sea.

Pilots were found to have ignored ground proximity warning systems, according to the country's Accident Investigation Commission.

 The plane crashing into the sea on its approach to Chuuk International Airport
EPA

The report found the pilots had disregarded several "pull up" warning lights and alarms.

"The crew were fixated on the task of landing the aircraft and did not notice the visual PULL UP caution alert at the bottom of their PFD," it said.

"Therefore, they (the crew) did not take any positive action to arrest the high rate of descent and avoid landing in the lagoon.

"In fact, neither of the pilots were aware of the rapidly unfolding unsafe situation.

Local fishing boats move in to recover the passengers and crew of Air Niugini flight
AP

Chief Commissioner Hubert Namani said said: "Both pilots were fixated on cues associated with control inputs for the landing approach, and subsequently, were not situationally aware and did not recognise the developing significant unsafe condition of an increasingly unstable final approach.

The report also highlighted that "crew coordination is less than effective if crew members do not work as a team."

Crew and passengers were rescued from the half-submerged plane.
Reuters

Mr. Namani added: “the importance of the imagery obtained from the video taken by the engineer in the cockpit jump seat cannot be understated.

"It provided clear pictures in real time of the cockpit environment and instruments."

The report said the man who died was not wearing a seat-belt and suffered blunt trauma injuries to his head.

After the crash, 12 crew members and 34 passengers scrambled off the half-submerged plane aircraft into the water.

They were picked up by a flotilla of small boats operated by locals and US Navy divers in the area.

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