Pre-crash Communication Hints at Pilot Error
It was pouring with rain and a thick blanket of fog was blocking all visibility. Thirty-five minutes passed after the PMT flight, carrying 22 people including 13 South Koreans, left from Siem Reap, bound for the coastal town of Sihanoukville. The AN-24 was approaching a Cambodian mountain, covered in dense jungle, when the following communication took place:
“We are flying at an altitude of 2000 feet.” (pilot)
“You are flying too low. Given your current location, you should move to an altitude of 4000 feet.” (control tower, Sihanoukville)
“It’s no problem; I am familiar with this area.” (pilot)
The plane lost contact shortly after this communication, disappearing from radar screens as it crashed into the northeastern side of Bukor Mountain.......