Accident description
| Status: | |
| Date: | 03 SEP 1997 |
| Time: | 14:00 |
| Type: | Tupolev 134B-3 |
| Operator: | Vietnam Airlines |
| Registration: | VN-A120 |
| C/n / msn: | 66360 |
| First flight: | 1984 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11723 |
| Cycles: | 8209 |
| Engines: | 2 Soloviev D-30-III |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 59 / Occupants: 60 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 65 / Occupants: 66 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Phnom Penh-Pochentong Airport (PNH) (Cambodia)
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| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Ho Chi Minh City-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN/VVTS), Vietnam |
| Phnom Penh-Pochentong Airport (PNH/VDPP), Cambodia | |
| Flightnumber: | 815 |
The captain of the Tupolev ignored ATC instructions to change runways and ignored the advice of his co-pilot to abort the approach because of bad visibility in heavy rain. The plane struck trees 300 m short of the runway and crashed into a rice field when stalling on a late go-around.
Events:
Sources:
» Flight International 03-09.06.1998 (12)
» ICAO Adrep
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Statistics
63rd loss of a Tupolev 134
11th worst accident involving a Tupolev 134 (at the time)
11th worst accident involving a Tupolev 134 (currently)
The worst accident in Cambodia (at the time)
The worst accident in Cambodia (currently) » figures explained
11th worst accident involving a Tupolev 134 (at the time)
11th worst accident involving a Tupolev 134 (currently)
The worst accident in Cambodia (at the time)
The worst accident in Cambodia (currently) » figures explained
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN/VVTS) to Phnom Penh-Pochentong Airport (PNH/VDPP) as the crow flies is 212 km (132 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN/VVTS) to Phnom Penh-Pochentong Airport (PNH/VDPP) as the crow flies is 212 km (132 miles).






