Power struggle?
I’ve been on flights to this airstrip. This is central Laos where a lot of ordinance was dropped to prevent re-supply of the NVA.
This area is very scenic and is on a high plateau. The temps are very mild there. There is not much wind on the airstrip. There aren’t any mountains to hit or any other dangerous conditions for landing.
The planes I flew on for these trips may have somewhat questionable maintenance. It wouldn’t surprise me if this crash was due to poor maintenance of the aircraft.
There is also a military presence there which is un-advertised, a multitude of MIGs.
This cabinet minister, does he always travel on the wrong side of the border?