Lao Airlines Flight 301
RDPL-34233, the aircraft involved in the accident, in July 2013 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 16 October 2013 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error |
| Site | Done Kho Island, Mekong River, Laos 15°09′06″N 105°43′59″E / 15.15167°N 105.73306°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | ATR 72-600 |
| Operator | Lao Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | QV301 |
| ICAO flight No. | LAO301 |
| Call sign | LAO 301 |
| Registration | RDPL-34233 |
| Flight origin | Wattay International Airport, Vientiane, Laos |
| Destination | Pakse International Airport, Laos |
| Occupants | 49 |
| Passengers | 44 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 49 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Lao Airlines Flight 301 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vientiane to Pakse, Laos. On 16 October 2013, the ATR 72-600 aircraft operating the flight crashed into the Mekong River near Pakse, killing all 49 people on board. The accident was the first involving an ATR 72-600 and the deadliest ever to occur on Lao soil.
The investigation report concluded that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew's failure to properly execute the published missed approach procedure following an aborted landing at Pakse airport.