Lao Aviation Flight 703 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vientiane to Xam Neua, Laos. On 19 October 2000, the Harbin Y-12 II crashed into a mountain 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the airport due to pilot error. At least eight passengers died, including citizens from Germany, Singapore, and South Africa, while seven passengers and two crew members survived but were injured.[1][2][3][4] The crash was the fourth fatal crash involving the airline in the previous ten years, and the second in four months.[5][6]
 A Lao Aviation Harbin Y-12 similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 October 2000 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error |
| Site | 12 km from Nathong Airport, Laos |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Harbin Y-12 |
| Operator | Lao Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | QV703 |
| ICAO flight No. | LAO703 |
| Call sign | LAO 703 |
| Registration | RDPL-34130 |
| Flight origin | Wattay International Airport, Vientiane, Laos |
| Destination | Nathong Airport, Xam Neua, Houaphan Province, Laos |
| Occupants | 17 |
| Passengers | 15 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Injuries | 9 |
| Survivors | 9 |
The search for the crash site was made difficult by low cloud cover and dense smoke in the area. One group of survivors walked from the crash site to a village nearby.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ "South African among eight killed in Laos plane crash". News24. 2000-10-20. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Harbin Yunshuji Y-12 II RDPL-34130 Sam Neua". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
- ^ "Laos plane crash kills 8". BBC News. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2019./
- ^ Baruah, Amit (13 November 2000). "Their dreams crashed along with the plane". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2019.[dead link]
- ^ "Mounting criticism after 4th fatal crash". News24.com. 24 October 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "8 die in Laos plane crash". BBC News. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "South African killed in Laos plane crash". The Mercury. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ Hays, Jeffrey (2008). "Air Travel, Boats, and a Lack of Railroads in Laos". factsanddetails.com. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
 | This article about an aviation accident is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |