ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

South African Airways Flight 228

South African Airways Flight 228 was a flight that was going from Taiwan to South Africa. The flight stopped in Mauritius for fuel and then continued to South Africa. While flying over the Indian Ocean, the plane suddenly went down and crashed into the water.

When planes fly, they need fuel to keep going. So, the plane stopped in Mauritius to get more fuel. But something went wrong after they left Mauritius. The plane had a problem and it started to fall, crashing into the ocean – like when we throw a toy into the water.

The plane had 159 passengers and crew on board, and unfortunately, everyone was killed in the crash. It was a very sad day for their families and for everyone who heard about it.

After the crash, many people investigated to find out what happened. They found out that there was a problem with the plane's navigation system. This is like a map that helps the pilots know where they are going. Because of this problem, the pilots didn't know where they were or how to fix the problem.

So, the plane kept going down until it crashed into the ocean. It was a terrible tragedy, but we learned a lot from it. Now, planes have better navigation systems and pilots are trained to handle problems better.