Flight and Passengers
The aircraft departed Hong Kong-Kai Tak Airport at 0425 GMT, bound for Jakarta. On board were 8 crew members and 11 passengers, all of whom were Chinese and European journalists traveling to Jakarta to participate in the Asia-Afro Bandung Conference.
Accident Sequence
Approximately five hours after takeoff, while cruising at 18,000 feet over the sea, a muffled explosion was heard. Smoke immediately entered the cabin through the cold air ducts, and a localized fire was detected on the starboard wing behind the number three engine nacelle. The crew commenced a rapid descent for ditching and broadcast distress signals. Despite firefighting actions, including feathering the number three engine, the fire spread rapidly. This led to hydraulic failure followed by electrical failure. During the final descent, dense smoke filled the cockpit, reducing visibility to almost nil.
Ditching and Aftermath
The aircraft struck the water with the starboard wing tip, and the nose submerged almost instantaneously. Only three crew members survived the accident; the aircraft was destroyed. The passengers were all journalists.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the cause of the accident was an explosion of a timed infernal machine placed in the starboard wheel well. This explosion punctured the number three fuel tank, resulting in an uncontrollable fire. It is believed that the target was Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, whose travel plans had been kept secret; he left China three days later.