What happened
During a flight originating from Saigon, the crew was performing a descent toward Nha Trang Air Base when they encountered adverse weather. At an altitude of approximately 4,600 feet, the aircraft's right wing made contact with trees. Following this impact, the aircraft type lost stability and crashed into a heavily forested area on a mountain slope, situated roughly 25 km southwest of the airfield.
The wreckage was located approximately 150 feet below the mountain summit. Because the crash site was situated in an inaccessible region and weather conditions remained difficult, search teams were unable to reach the location until nine days after the event. The accident resulted in 79 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
At the time of the accident, meteorological conditions included a broken cloud ceiling at 2,000 feet and horizontal visibility of approximately 1,500 meters. The investigation determined that the primary factor in the accident was controlled flight into terrain.