Vietnam Airlines Flight 815

Vietnam Airlines Flight 815 was a scheduled Vietnam Airlines flight which crashed on final approach to Pochentong International Airport in Cambodia on 3 September 1997. The Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-134 airliner crashed approximately 800 m short of the Phnom Penh runway, killing 65 of the 66 people on board. As of February 2024, it remains the deadliest accident in Cambodian history. Upon investigation, the crash was determined to have been the result of improper actions by the pilot.

Accident

Flight 815 departed Ho Chi Minh City around 1 o'clock in the afternoon for the 45-minute flight to Phnom Penh. The aircraft was approaching the Phnom Penh airport from the east in heavy rain. According to acting airport director and investigating committee chief Sok Sambour, the plane was supposed to be flying at 14000 ft when it began its approach, but was at 10000 ft when it reached the range of Pochentong's Non-Directional Beacon (NDB).

The airport previously had a VOR/DME, but it had been looted the previous July. Because of this the pilots had to use the non directional beacon (NDB) located 5 km west of the airport to get a general fix of the area, and had to keep descending until they could make visual contact with the airfield. As a result, the frequency of aborted landings had increased over the rainy season. The runway lights had also been looted, but were reportedly replaced and illuminated at the time.

Once in range of the NDB, the pilot asked the control tower for permission to land at 5000 ft. The control tower agreed, but requested the pilot remind the control tower often of its approach, due to the heavy weather. As the flight approached the airport it was at 3000 ft when the pilot again asked for permission to land, stating that he could not find the runway. The pilot was given permission to drop to 2000 ft and was told to keep in contact.

After a moment the control tower inquired if the pilot had found the runway, to which the pilot replied that he could not see the runway. The control tower then informed the pilot that the wind direction was changing. The pilot was on an eastern approach to runway 23; the tower requested that the pilot instead approach runway 5 from the west. Continuing on the eastern approach would cause the pilot to attempt to land downwind. The pilot acknowledged the request, and had no further contact with the control tower.Two minutes later, Flight 815 was spotted still approaching from the east. The plane kept descending until it was 200 ft above the ground. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) showed at that time the first officer, Hoang Van Dinh (49), asked the captain, Pham Van Tieu (59), to pull up and abort the landing, as they still did not have visual of the runway. The captain said he would wait a little. The plane descended to 100 ft, still with no visual of the runway, at which point the first officer and the flight engineer, again asked the captain to abort the landing. It was too late, however; four seconds later the left wing of the plane struck a palm tree. At that time they were not in line with the runway, having veered left across the military side of the airport. Striking the tree caused one engine to stop. The right wing skimmed across a house. The plane tilted to the left and hit the ground at 270 kph.

Eyewitnesses state that there were flames in the aeroplane's tail after it struck the tree. One witness states he saw an emergency door open and could see passengers crowded at the door, but none jumped before the airplane struck the ground. The aircraft then slid 200 yd through several dry rice paddies before exploding at around 1:40 pm.