What happened
During a nighttime flight originating from Bombay, the crew of a Boeing 707 began their descent toward Bangkok-Don Mueang Airport. After confirming that the runway was visible, the pilot received clearance to land on runway 21L. However, while on short final approach, the aircraft descended below a safe altitude.
Approximately 2 km before reaching the runway, the four-engine jet impacted the roof of a structure and subsequently crashed into a rotating factory. The collision triggered intense flames. The accident resulted in 53 fatalities among the aircraft occupants and 20 deaths among the factory workers. At the time of the impact, visibility was reported to be approximately 4 km.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the crash was caused by crew errors during the approach, specifically failing to maintain the minimum safe altitude required for the flight phase.