What happened
During a takeoff attempt at Luang Namtha Airport, the aircraft had already surpassed V1 speed when the crew initiated the rotation phase. During this critical moment, the flight engineer made a unilateral decision to terminate the takeoff procedure. This action was taken without any communication or coordination with the pilots in the cockpit.
Because the decision to abort occurred after the decision speed had been exceeded, the crew was unable to bring the aircraft to a halt within the available runway length. Consequently, the aircraft exited the runway and struck a nearby building. While all 35 occupants of the aircraft were successfully rescued from the wreckage, the accident resulted in one fatality involving a person on the ground.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the uncoordinated decision by the flight engineer to abort the takeoff after V1 speed had been reached, which prevented the crew from safely completing the takeoff or stopping the aircraft within the remaining runway distance.