Vietnam Airlines Flight 815

Vietnam Airlines Flight 815

Occurrence
Date	September 3, 1997
Summary	Pilot error
Site	300 metres short of runway
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-134
Operator	Vietnam Airlines
Registration	VN-A120
Flight origin	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Destination	Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia
Passengers	60
Crew	6
Fatalities	65
Injuries	1
Survivors	1

Vietnam Airlines Flight 815 was a scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh's Pochentong Airport. The Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft (built in 1984) crashed on final approach 300 metres short of the runway, killing 65 of the 66 persons on board. The aircraft was entirely destroyed.

Accident

The Tupolev Tu-134 was approaching the Phnom Penh airport runway in heavy rain from 2,000 metres; at this point the control tower ordered the pilot to attempt an approach from the west due to a wind pick-up. The crew then lost communication with the tower, and three minutes later the aircraft collided at low level with trees, damaging the left wing. The aircraft then slid 200 yards into a dry rice paddy before exploding.

Investigation

Pilot error was later identified as the cause of the crash; the pilot continued his landing descent from an altitude of 2,000 metres to 30 metres even though the runway was not in sight, and ignored pleas from his first officer and flight engineer to turn back. When the aircraft hit the trees, the pilot finally realized the runway was not in sight and tried to abort the approach; the flight engineer pushed for full power, but the aircraft lost control and veered left; the right engine then stalled, making it impossible to gain lift.

External links

• Aviation Safety.net accident description page