Samoa Airways operated two flights to Fitiuta Airport on Wednesday and a Samoa Airways engineer was onsite to inspect the condition of the aircraft that ran off the runway the day before.

An update from the Department of Port Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its initial assessment and has officially released the Samoa Airways aircraft involved in the landing incident from its investigative hold.

Post Administration continues its investigation of the incident. It is also coordinating with Samoa Airways on the next
steps for the removal and recovery of the aircraft.

The runway is open with normal flight operations and Samoa Airways operated two flights to Fitiuta Airport on Wednesday.

Due to the unavailability of a chartered aircraft Wednesday, Port Administration arranged for a charter flight Thursday, July 30th to continue its onsite investigation. Director Barney Sene and members of the Airport investigation team will travel to Fitiuta to assess the incident site, coordinate recovery operations with Samoa Airways, and the safe restoration of the affected area.

The aircraft and the immediate surrounding area will remain secured while recovery plans are finalized.