Pakse

A first approach procedure to runway 15 was aborted by the crew due to insufficient visibility. On the circuit to complete a second approach in bad weather conditions, the ATR72-600 crashed some 8 km short of runway and was completely submerged in the Mekong River. None of the 49 occupants (44 pax and 5 crew) survived, among them 7 French citizens and 6 Australians. Aircraft left Vientiane at 1445LT and should arrive in Pakse one hour later. Aircraft was built and delivered to Lao Airlines in March this year. First crash involving an ATR72-600 series. Up to date, worst accident in Laos.
The Laotian Authorities released the following key sentences of analysis:
"Under IMC conditions, with no reference to the ground, the SOPs lead to conducting an instrument approach. In Pakse the VOR DME approach procedure is in force. There is no radar service. The flight crew has to fly to the initial approach fix or the intermediate fix at an altitude above 4600ft, then start the descent to 2300ft until final approach fix. Finally the flight crew descends to the minima (990ft), if visual references with the ground are available and sufficient the flight crew may continue until touchdown. If ground visual references are not available or not sufficient, the flight crew may level off up to the missed approach point and then must start the missed approach procedure. From the FOR data, the flight crew set 600 ft as the minima. This is contrary to the published minima of 990 ft. Even if the flight crew had used the incorrect height as published in the JEPPESEN Chart at that time the minima should have been set to 645 ft or above. The choice of minima lower than the published minima considerably reduces the safety margins. Following the chart would lead the flight crew to fly on a parallel path 345 ft lower than the desired indicated altitude. The recordings show that the flight crew initiated a right turn according to the lateral missed approach trajectory without succeeding in reaching the vertical trajectory. Specifically, the flight crew didn't follow the vertical profile of missed approach as the missed approach altitude was set at 600 ft and the aircraft system went into altitude capture mode. When the flight crew realized that the altitude was too close to the ground, the PF over-reacted, which led to a high pitch attitude of 33°. The aircraft was mostly flying in the clouds during the last part of flight."

After landing at Svay Rieng Airport, the airplane became uncontrollable and skidded on runway. It veered off runway and collided with several wooded houses. All six occupants escaped uninjured while six people were killed on the ground.

The airplane departed Ubon Ratchathani Airbase to attack some trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail 12 passengers and a crew of four on board. While cruising at an altitude of 7,800 feet, the airplane was hit by 37 mm anti-aircraft fire. Two crew members parachuted to safety while 14 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Harry Roy Lagerwall, †
Cpt Stanley Neal Kroboth, †
Maj Paul Oswald Meder, †
Maj Francis Anthony Walsh, †
Cpt Joel Ray Birch, †
Cpt Thomas Trammell Hart, †
Cpt Robert Leonel Liles, †
2nd Lt George Duncan MacDonald, †
1st Lt Delmar Ernest Dickens, †
A1C Charles Frederick Fenter, †
T/Sgt Robert Thomas Elliott, †
T/Sgt James Ray Fuller, †
T/Sgt John Quitman Winningham, †
Sgt Richard Williams,
Sgt Carl E. Stevens,
A1C Rollie Keith Reaid. †

While on a supply mission from Pakse and flying at low height, the airplane was struck by ground fire and crashed in flames in the region of Salavan. All four occupants were killed.

The aircraft departed Pakse on a supply mission, carrying foods and ammunition loaded on 14 pallets. While flying at low height, the airplane was hit by enemy fire. All four crew members decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in a huge explosion and was destroyed. All four crew members were unhurt.

While descending to Pakse Airport, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions and was instructed to hold as a landing was impossible. Few minutes later, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances few km from the airfield, killing all 35 occupants, among them civilians.

The aircraft was performing a special flight from Hanoi to Saigon, carrying refugees leaving the Red River. In-flight, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and received the permission to divert to Pakse for an emergency landing. The airplane lost height and eventually crashed on the bank of the Sedone River, a tributary of the Mekong River. Three crew members and five passengers were seriously injured while 47 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact.

While approaching Saigon-Tân Son Nhât Airport, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Thủ Dầu Một, about 19 km north of the airfield. All five occupants were killed.