What happened
Approximately ten minutes following its takeoff from Phan Rang Air Base, the aircraft began a descent toward Cam Ranh Bay. The flight path followed a heading of 30° through a valley measuring roughly 15 km in length and 3 km in width, maintaining an altitude of 2,700 feet. During this period, air traffic control issued instructions to the crew to adjust their heading to 100°. Shortly after this communication, contact with the aircraft was lost.
The plane impacted trees with both wings, leading to a stall and a subsequent crash that resulted in a post-impact fire within a heavily forested region located a few kilometers from Cam Ranh Bay Airport. Search and rescue teams reached the wreckage five days after the incident. Upon arrival, they discovered two survivors; however, the accident resulted in 42 fatalities.
Findings
At the time of the impact, visibility was non-existent because of low cloud cover. The investigation determined that the primary factor in the accident was controlled flight into terrain.