Incident Overview
During a descent to Bandung-Husein Sastranegara Airport, the flight crew encountered poor weather conditions characterized by heavy rainfall. The aircraft descended too low and struck the slope of Mt Puntang, located approximately 25 km south of Bandung Airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in the deaths of all 31 occupants on board.
Official Findings
The Indonesian investigation determined the probable cause to be controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). The crew initiated the descent prematurely for reasons that could not be determined. No other contributing factors were identified in the official findings.
Weather and Terrain
The accident occurred during a period of heavy rain, which likely reduced visibility. Mt Puntang, a terrain feature south of the airport, was not cleared by the aircraft during the descent. The aircraft's trajectory brought it into contact with the slope at an altitude too low to avoid the collision.