What happened
While operating a special flight from Hanoi to Saigon, an aircraft carrying passengers fleeing the Red River experienced a mechanical emergency. During the flight, the crew notified Air Traffic Control regarding an engine failure and requested authorization to perform an emergency landing at Pakse.
As the aircraft attempted to manage the situation, it lost altitude and ultimately struck the bank of the Sedone River, which is a tributary of the Mekong River. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. The accident resulted in 47 fatalities and left eight individuals with serious injuries, including three crew members and five passengers.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the primary factor leading to the accident was an engine failure during the flight phase.