| - | ACCIDENT DETAILS |
| Date: | November 28, 1987 |
| Time: | 0400 |
| Location: | Off Mauritius, Indian Ocean |
| Operator: | South African Airways |
| Flight #: | 295 |
| Route: | Taipei, Taiwan - Mauritius - Johannesburg, South Africa |
| AC Type: | Boeing B-747-244B Combi |
| Registration: | ZS-SAS |
| cn / ln: | 22171/488 |
| Aboard: | 159 (passengers:140 crew:19) |
| Fatalities: | 159 (passengers:140 crew:19) |
| Ground: | 0 |
| Summary: | While over the Indian Ocean the crew contacted Mauritius approach control and reporting fire and smoke aboard. Three minutes after the last transmission the plane the plunged into the ocean 150 miles northeast of Mauritius. The fire caused incapacitation and disorientation of the crew, in-flight break-up and loss of control of the aircraft. The fire originated in a front pallet on the right side in the upper deck cargo hold. The fire of unknown origin possibly (1) incapacitated the crew; (2) caused disorientation of the crew due to thick smoke; (3) caused crew distraction; (4) weakened the aircraft structure, causing an in-flight break-up; (5) burned through control cables or ; (6) caused loss of control due to deformation of the aircraft fuselage. It has been rumored that an unstable substance, not listed on the manifest, was illigally being shipped and started the fire though this has never been proven. |
Sources
Copyright © Richard Kebabjian / www.planecrashinfo.com