South African Airways Flight 295 was a scheduled passenger flight from Taipei, Taiwan, to Johannesburg, South Africa, that was tragically lost over the Indian Ocean. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-200, took off from Taipei on November 27, 1987, carrying 148 passengers and 11 crew members. Shortly before its scheduled landing, the flight encountered difficulties that ultimately led to a catastrophic failure. The cockpit crew reported a fire in the cockpit, a situation that necessitated an emergency landing. Unfortunately, in an effort to manage the emergency, the aircraft went off radar and subsequently crashed into the ocean. The exact sequence of events leading to the crash remains a point of investigation and debate among aviation experts.

Search and rescue operations commenced immediately after the flight's disappearance. However, efforts to locate survivors were hampered by challenging ocean conditions and the depth of the water. After extensive searching, both the wreckage and the bodies of all individuals on board were recovered, revealing that no one had survived the tragic incident. The final report by the South African Transport Minister concluded that the most probable cause was a fire in the cockpit due to an unknown source, leading to the loss of control of the aircraft.