Accident Details
On a flight from Hong Kong-Kai Tak to Denpasar-Ngurah Rai Airport, the descent was initiated during night conditions with limited visibility. While descending to runway 09 at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the aircraft began a turn to a heading of 263°. During this turn, it struck the slope of Mount Masehe, located approximately 68 km from the airport. The wreckage was found a few hours later. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact, and all 107 occupants were killed.
Sequence of Events
The flight from Hong Kong-Kai Tak was uneventful until the crew started the descent to Denpasar. The approach was conducted at night with limited visibility. As the aircraft descended toward runway 09, it initiated a right-hand turn to a heading of 263 degrees. The turn brought the aircraft into the terrain of Mount Masehe. No further details about the flight path or crew actions prior to impact are available from the source.
Probable Cause
The official finding attributed the accident to the premature execution of a right-hand turn to join the 263 degrees outbound track. This turn was based on the indication given by only one of the ADFs (Automatic Direction Finders) while the other ADF remained in a steady condition.