SAA Helderberg Disaster

1987-11-28

On this date at approximately seven minutes past midnight South African Airways Boeing 747-244B Combi crashed into the Indian ocean 134 nautical miles north-east of the Plaisance Airport, Mauritius. None of the 140 passengers and 19 crew aboard survived.

Judge Margo was appointed to head a Board of Inquiry into the crash. The finding of the board was that the accident allowed an uncontrolled fire in the forward right pallet on the main deck cargo compartment. The aircraft crashed into the sea at high speed following a loss of control following the fire.