Mandala Airlines Flight 660

Mandala Airlines Flight 660

The aircraft involved in the accident could be seen behind the plane in the foreground while still in operation with Trans Australia Airlines
Accident
Date	24 July 1992 (1992-07-24)
Summary	Microburst-induced wind shear, controlled flight into terrain by pilot error
Site	Mt. Lalaboy, Indonesia
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Vickers Viscount 816
Aircraft name	Nias
Operator	Mandala Airlines
IATA flight No.	RI660
ICAO flight No.	MDL660
Call sign	MANDALA 660
Registration	PK-RVU
Flight origin	Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, Indonesia
Destination	Pattimura Airport, Ambon, Indonesia
Occupants	70
Passengers	63
Crew	7
Fatalities	70
Survivors	0

Mandala Airlines Flight 660 was a scheduled passenger flight on 24 July 1992 which crashed in Indonesia into a mountain on Ambon Island as it attempted to land at Pattimura Airport in poor weather conditions.

On approach to Pattimura, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt. Lalaboy about 14 km southwest of Runway 04 while trying to land in heavy rain, at around 16:30 local time. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and there were no survivors.

The cause was attributed to pilot error after the aircraft was approaching at an insufficient altitude, possibly caused by windshears. It was possible that the pilots were following instruments that may have given false readings or had malfunctioned.^[1][2]

The aircraft was a Vickers Viscount 816 serial number 434, which first flew on 8 June 1959.^[3] It was delivered on 17 June 1959 to Trans Australia Airlines as VH-TVQ and named McDouall Stuart which operate until 1970.^[3] It later leased to Far Eastern Air Transport and Merpati Nusantara Airlines. By 1987, it had been bought by Mandala Airlines and was registered PK-RVU and name Nias.^[3]

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network