Vietnam Airlines Flight 831

Vietnam Airlines Flight 831

A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 similar to the aircraft involved
Accident
Date	9 September 1988
Summary	CFIT for reasons unknown, possibly due to a lightning strike
Site	Near Semafahkarm Village, Tambon Khu Khot, Amphoe Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani, Thailand 13°57′49″N 100°38′36″E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-134
Operator	Vietnam Airlines
Call sign	VIET NAM AIRLINES 831
Registration	VN-A102
Flight origin	Hanoi International Airport
Destination	Don Mueang International Airport
Occupants	90
Passengers	84
Crew	6
Fatalities	76
Injuries	14
Survivors	14

Vietnam Airlines Flight 831, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashed in a rice field 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) N of Bangkok International Airport, while operating a flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Bangkok, Thailand, on 9 September 1988. The cause of the accident is undetermined; however, the pilots reported the aircraft may have been struck by lightning as it approached to land. Three crew and 73 passengers died in the accident, whilst 14 others survived, including the captain, flight engineer, and one stewardess. This accident was the second deadliest accident (behind Thai Airways Flight 365 a year earlier) at the time in Thailand, and is currently the fifth deadliest.

Victims

Crew members

Captain: Khong Dinh Phuong

Navigator: Tran Dinh Hong

Flight engineer: Le Viet Dong

Stewardess: Hoa Xuan Ly

Stewardess: Ha Minh Hong

Stewardess: Nguyen Thai Thuy

Passengers

It was initially reported that 75 passengers were on board instead of 84.

Among the dead was Vietnamese Minister of Public Health Đặng Hồi Xuân, Indian ambassador Arun Padwardhan and Japanese secretary Kiyokata Ida.

Accident

After entering the Thai area, the weather began deteriorating, with heavy rain. Near Don Mueang Airport, the navigator shouted: "Lightning, it's lightning". However, no warnings were made, so they continued their descent. When the aircraft descended to 380 meters (1,250 feet), light flashed, incapitating the cabin crews. Passing above the outer marker, the aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude and crashed into the ground. The aircraft exploded on impact with debris spread over 500 metres (1,600 ft).The plane broke into three parts: The nose section, the first-half fuselage and the rest.

In 2013, in an interview, captain Phuong said his fortune toward his miracle survival, but also express regrets and sadness for not having a safe flight. "I wished my luck had been given to someone else on this fateful flight!" - said captain Phuong

Investigation

Subsequently, the black box was recovered. International aviation investigators and Russian experts analyzed the cause of the crash, attributing it to a lightning strike. While aircraft can often withstand minor lightning strikes, there are severe incidents from which recovery is impossible. Captain Phuong recounted that in this particular accident, the flight crew lost consciousness the moment the lightning struck; there was no further input from the pilots on the controls during those critical moments. Following the strike, the black box recorded no words from the crew.