The flight to freedom of Phillip Mehrtens, the NZ pilot who survived 594 days in captivity | New Zealand
On February 7, 2023, Philippe Mertens' life took an unexpected and tragic turn. A skilled New Zealand pilot landed a small passenger plane on the runway at Paro airfield in the isolated highlands of Indonesia's West Papua region, dropping off five passengers and picking up 15 construction workers for the short flight back south. But […]
New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens released by Indonesian rebels after being abducted more than 19 months ago
A New Zealand pilot has been released from captivity after being abducted and his small plane set on fire by separatists after it landed at a remote Indonesian airport early last year. “Today I finally escaped. I'm really happy that I will be going home with my family soon,” Philippe Mertens, 38, who was working […]