Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during a flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. The aircraft, an Airbus A300 leased from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), featured a cockpit layout that differed from the standard Malaysian Airline System fleet. This discrepancy, combined with a high workload during a stormy night approach, contributed to the crew's failure to engage the Instrument Landing System. According to BAAA-ACRO records, the flight made five failed landing attempts before the final crash occurred on the sixth approach. The Captain took manual control from the First Officer but failed to monitor the descent rate effectively. The aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude without the crew having the runway in sight. The plane eventually impacted trees 2,000 meters short of the runway threshold, skidding across the ground and over a stream before coming to rest. The successful evacuation of all 247 occupants, with only 20 injuries reported, is often cited as a significant survival success despite the total hull loss.
Final Conclusions
The investigation determined the probable cause was pilot error. The flight crew failed to monitor the aircraft's descent rate while operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Furthermore, the crew continued the approach below company weather minima without establishing visual contact with the runway environment.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
A precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. The crew failed to activate this system during the approach.
Altimeter Warning
An audio alert designed to warn the crew when the aircraft reaches a pre-set minimum altitude. The warning triggered 30 seconds before impact.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was leased from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and had a different cockpit switch configuration than MAS's own A300s.
- 02Visibility at the time of the accident was 450 meters due to heavy rain, while company policy required 800 meters.
- 03The aircraft lost both engines and its landing gear during the impact and slide.
- 04This was the second hull loss of an Airbus A300 since the type entered service.
- 05The aircraft came to rest 1,200 meters short of the runway threshold.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Resource Management and Standardization
The accident highlighted the dangers of 'cross-cockpit' confusion when operating leased aircraft with different internal configurations, leading to increased emphasis on crew familiarization with specific airframe layouts.