On 2 July 2026, a Pilatus Porter aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier PT AMA touched down at the remote Ipdeheik airstrip in Yahukimo regency, Papua Highlands, carrying American pilot Nicholas F. Goselin and seven indigenous Papuan passengers. Moments after landing, armed members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) opened fire, killing the pilot and setting the plane ablaze. The passengers survived unharmed. Indonesian special forces launched a rapid seizure operation the following morning, deploying ten personnel and two Caracal helicopters to secure the airstrip and evacuate Goselin’s body to Timika, from where it is to be transferred to the US embassy in Jakarta.

TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambom claimed responsibility, stating the group had enforced a standing ultimatum prohibiting civilian flights into areas it designates as operational zones. He alleged that civilian aircraft routinely ferry Indonesian troops and logistics into the interior, contributing to civilian casualties, and described the killing as a “message” to Washington and Jakarta for failing to address the root causes of the conflict. The group also called for United Nations-facilitated negotiations. Indonesian military officials denied that the aircraft was used for troop transport, insisting it was a routine civilian flight serving remote communities. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago condemned the attack as an intolerable criminal act, while the military named Elkius Kobak, a local TPNPB commander, as the suspected field leader and launched a manhunt. The US embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The attack has immediate implications for the fragile air logistics network that sustains isolated highland populations. PT AMA’s director noted that in 67 years of operations, this was the first time the airline had lost a crew member to violence, underscoring the erosion of security for humanitarian and religious missions. In Jakarta, parliamentary commission members called for a comprehensive review of security protocols and urged that the protection of civilian flights be treated as a matter of national resilience, given that many villages depend entirely on air links for food, medicine, and basic services. The military has increased patrols and vowed to pursue the perpetrators, while also pledging to maintain essential flight services.

The killing is the latest in a pattern of attacks on foreign pilots in Papua, where a decades-long insurgency has intensified since 2023. In February 2023, New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens was kidnapped and held for 18 months; in August 2024, another New Zealander, Glen Malcolm Conning, was shot dead after landing in Mimika. Analysts in Southeast Asia note that the TPNPB has used such high-profile attacks to internationalise the conflict and pressure Jakarta into political dialogue. The group’s statement explicitly linked the killing to what it calls the failure of Indonesia, the US, the Netherlands, and the UN to address the conflict’s underlying causes. With the manhunt ongoing and the body being prepared for repatriation, the incident is likely to sharpen scrutiny of Indonesia’s security approach in its easternmost provinces and may affect the willingness of foreign pilots to operate in the region.