What happened
Shortly after departing from runway 13 at the Hong Kong-Kai Tak Airport, a four-engine aircraft, known as 'City of Ayudhya', entered its initial climb phase. During this ascent, the plane struck the terrain on a slope situated between Mt Parker and Mt Butler on Hong Kong Island.
The impact resulted in the deaths of all 24 occupants on board. At the time of the flight, meteorological conditions were described as marginal, with low cloud cover significantly reducing visibility for the crew.
Findings
- The aircraft was ascending at an altitude that proved insufficient to clear the local terrain.
- Poor visibility caused by low clouds and marginal weather conditions were present during the accident.
- The primary factor was the inadequate climb altitude relative to the mountain slope.