Incident
On an unspecified date, a Shaanxi Y-8 aircraft departed Mergui (Myeik) Airport at 1306 local time, bound for Yangon. The aircraft was transporting soldiers and their family members. While cruising at an altitude of 18,000 feet under good weather conditions, radar contact was lost. The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the Andaman Sea at 1335 local time.
Search and Recovery
Search and rescue operations were initiated immediately. By the end of the afternoon, the first debris was located approximately 218 kilometers off the city of Dawei, according to the Myanmar Army Chief of Staff. The tail of the aircraft was discovered a week later. Both the cockpit flight recorder (CFR) and the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) were recovered and transmitted to the Army for further investigation.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Shaanxi Y-8, a Chinese version of the Antonov An-12 built after 2010. It was brand new and had been delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in March 2016.
Investigation
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The recovered flight recorders are being analyzed by the Army as part of the ongoing investigation.