What happened
A scheduled flight departed from Bandar Seri Begawan Airport at 19:03 local time, bound for Miri, Sarawak. During the flight, at 19:36 local time, air traffic controllers issued clearance for the crew to begin an approach toward runway 02; however, this instruction was not acknowledged by the flight crew.
While descending under night conditions approximately six minutes later, the twin engine aircraft collided with the slope of Mt Lambir. The mountain peak is situated roughly 13.7 km from the departure airport and reaches an elevation of 500 metres. Search efforts located the wreckage at 07:10 local time the following morning. There were 10 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was a result of controlled flight into terrain. The crew descended to an altitude below the established minimum safe limits for the area, though the specific reason for this descent remains undetermined.