2014 Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force An-74 crash

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2014 Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force An-74 crash
File:Antonov An-74TK-300D 3.jpg
An Antonov 74TK-300 similar to the accident aircraft
summary
Date 17 May 2014
Summary Under investigation[1]
Site Baan Nadi, Xiangkhouang Province
Fatalities 16
Survivors 1
Aircraft type Antonov 74TK-300
Operator Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
Registration RDPL-34020
Flight origin Wattay International Airport, Vientiane
Destination Xieng Khouang Airport, Phonsavan

On 17 May 2014, an Antonov An-74 airplane of the Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force crashed in northern Laos while en route to Xiangkhouang Province. The crash occurred around 6:30 am (IC T); 16 people died, including several Laotian statesmen.

Background

The Ukrainian-built Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force Antonov An-74TK-300, registered as RDPL-34020,[2][3][4][5] was carrying top officials in transit to attend a ceremony celebrating the 55th anniversary of the second division of the Lao People's Army.[2] Included in the casualties were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Douangchay Phichit and Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, Cheuang Sombounkhanh.[6] In addition to the defense minister, the Minister of Public Security, the mayor of Vientiane, the deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs, and other officials were on the plane.

Crash

Between 6:15 and 07:00,[5][7][8] local time on 17 May 2014, 1,500 metres (4,900 ft)[8] or 2,000 metres (6,600 ft)[7] from the destination in Xiang Khouang, the Xieng Khouang Airport,[3][8] the aircraft crashed in Nadee,[5] Xiang Khouang, 500 kilometres (310 mi) from where it left in Vientiane[4] at the Vientiane-Wattay Airport.[3] The aircraft was too low on final approach, and its landing gear clipped some trees just short of the runway, resulting in the crash, which was attributed to a technical error.[9]

It is the second deadliest accident in Laos' history, after Lao Airlines Flight 301, which crashed in October 2013.[4]

Passengers

Initial reports suggested that there were fourteen passengers,[2][6] but later reports gave the figure as twenty on board at the time of the accident,[10] only three were reported to have survived,[4] according to official sources.[2] Once the situation became clearer, the passenger count was given as seventeen[9] and the death toll was given as sixteen, with one survivor after the other two original survivors died from their wounds.[11]

Those killed included:[6][12][13]

Although the names of the survivors have not yet been released,[2] a Thai news source said that the co-pilot, a nurse, and another person had survived.[6] The defence ministry permanent secretary in Thailand said that the Defence Minister of Laos and four others had been killed,[4] and a witness also said that the Defence Minister had died, and gave the figure of fourteen deaths.[7]

Reactions

The death of "arguably the two most powerful people in the security apparatus" was reported to be a significant blow to the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party.[12] After the crash, the ceremony was cancelled,[2] and a three-day period of national mourning was announced.[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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