American Mission Pilot Killed In Papua As US Monitors Investigation

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

WASHINGTON/JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Indonesia’s military confirmed Friday it had recovered the body of an American mission pilot who was shot dead by separatist rebels in the country’s restive eastern Papua region, as the U.S. government said it was closely monitoring the investigation.

Nicholas F. Goselin, who flew for the Christian mission aviation organization Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), was killed Thursday when armed members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) attacked his aircraft shortly after it landed at a remote airstrip in Yahukimo Regency in the Papua Highlands.

The separatist group later claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a “message” to both the Indonesian and U.S. governments. The rebels also said they burned the aircraft after the shooting.

Indonesia’s military said special forces secured the airstrip before recovering Goselin’s body and launching a search for those responsible. The seven passengers aboard the aircraft survived the attack.

US RESPONSE

Authorities said communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after Goselin reported a safe landing, before emergency messages were later received from the operator.

The U.S. State Department said it was aware Indonesian authorities were investigating the death of an American citizen in Papua and that it was closely monitoring developments.

“There is no higher priority than the safety and security of American citizens,” the department said, adding that officials remained in contact with Goselin’s family.

The killing also dealt a severe blow to Associated Mission Aviation, which has served remote communities across Papua for more than six decades.

CHRISTIAN MISSION

Known in Indonesia as PT AMA, the Christian mission aviation organization has operated in Papua since 1959, providing essential air transportation to isolated communities, including support for Christian mission work, medical outreach, and humanitarian assistance.

“We fly because Papua needs aviation. This beautiful island, blessed with so many wonderful people, needs air transport to further grow and develop,” the organization says on its website.

It adds: “We serve because we strive to operate in the imitation of Jesus Christ. The AMA team is service-driven. We care about our passengers, our clients, our suppliers, and about the authorities over us. We are team players, and want to contribute to our community and our region.”

Papua has been the scene of a decades-long, low-level separatist insurgency since Indonesia assumed control of the former Dutch territory in the 1960s. Fighting has intensified in recent years as the rebels have acquired increasingly sophisticated weapons.

RISING RISKS

Indonesian authorities have accused the TPNPB of repeatedly targeting civilians, security personnel, and aircraft serving isolated communities, while the separatists maintain they are fighting for independence.

The killing of Goselin also highlights a growing pattern of attacks against foreign pilots operating in Papua’s remote interior.

In February 2023, New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens was kidnapped by the TPNPB after landing in Nduga Regency. He was held for more than a year before being released in September 2024.

In August 2024, another New Zealand pilot, Glen Malcolm Conning, was shot dead shortly after landing in Papua, underscoring the growing dangers faced by civilian, humanitarian, and Christian mission aviation crews serving some of the world’s most isolated communities.

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