Accident Overview
Upon arrival at Sampit, the flight encountered poor weather conditions. The captain made the decision to initiate a go-around and enter a holding circuit in anticipation of weather improvement. The aircraft remained in the holding pattern for approximately three hours, turning over the area. During this time, the aircraft's fuel became depleted, leading to a triple engine failure. The crew subsequently lost control of the aircraft, which crashed in a mountainous area a few kilometers from Sampit. All 17 occupants of the aircraft were killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
The official accident investigation determined that the probable cause was the crew's loss of control following a triple engine failure caused by fuel exhaustion. This finding indicates that the prolonged holding pattern resulted in insufficient fuel to sustain flight, leading to the failure of all three engines.