Gaybutton Posted August 4, 2009 Posted August 4, 2009 This apparently happened only a couple of hours ago from the time of this post. Few details are available yet, but here's what appears in THE NATION so far: _____ Bangkok Airway jet skids off runway, many injured Published on August 4, 2009 Captain of the flight feared dead as the aircraft hit head-on to flight control tower. 41 others reportedly injured. A Bangkok Airways aircraft skidded of runway at Samui Airport and crashed into an old aviation control tower on Tuesday. The accident took place at about 2.30pm and as of 3pm, there was still unclear on the number of injuries and fatalities. Rescue teams and workers rushed to the scene to evacuate the passengers of the ill-fated flight. Initial report said that the 75-seat aircraft with 68 passengers and four crew members from Krabi province was landing at the Samui airport when it slid of the runway reportedly because of the poor weather. The Nation's reporter who was at the scene said the aircraft was not caught on fire when the crash happened. Meanwhile Kannika Kemawutanon, director general of civil aviation department said that the Bangkok Airways flight crashed into old flight control tower which is now used as parking area for fire trucks. Samui district chief Sakchai Johpalit said rescue workers were evacuating the injured passengers from the aircraft. The injured were sent to Krungthep-Samui Hospital (Tel 077429500. Another hospital on the island is Samui Hospital which can be reached at Tel 0-7742-0902, 0-7742-1399.) The accident took place as the island was hit by consecutive days of heavy rains. Heavy rains continued after the accident happened. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted August 4, 2009 Posted August 4, 2009 The disturbing feature of this accident is the weather, seemingly similar to that when the 1-2-Go plane crashed in Phuket a couple of years ago. Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 4, 2009 Author Posted August 4, 2009 Further news is coming in from THE NATION: _____ Captain of BA Flight Confirmed Dead Published on August 4, 2009 Captain of the ill-fated Bangkok Airways is confirmed dead when his aircraft skidded of runway of Samui Airport and plunged into an old air control tower on Tuesday. Kannika Kemawutanon, director general of Civil Aviation Department, said that the captain, Chartchai Pansuwan, was killed at the scene. Chartchai was killed as the aircraft hit head-on the tower. The flight was landing at the Samui Airport when it slid of the runway reportedly because of the poor weather. Initial reports said the aircraft was carrying 68 passengers and four crew members when the accident happened. Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai meanwhile said 10 passengers were seriously injured. Of them, six were sent to Bangkok-Samui Hospital, two to Bandon Inter and two to Thai Inter Hospitals each. A number of 42 others passengers were slightly injured. Co-pilot and two others crew members were safe. __________ And this, also from THE NATION: _____ Bangkok Airways Announces 7 Passengers Severely Injured Bangkok Airways announced Tuesday that 9 passengers of Flight PG 266 were injured, seven of them severely, in the accident at the Samui island. Bangkok Airways said 61 other passengers were safe along with two flight attendants. It said the pilot was killed and the co-pilot was safe. __________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST _____ 1 Confirmed Death in Bangkok Airways Crash Published: 4/08/2009 A Bangkok Airways plane skidded off the runway and crashed at Samui airport on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in at least one confirmed death and seven injured. Flight PG 266 crashed in severe weather on arriving at the resort island in Surat Thani about 2pm from Krabi province. Witnesses said the ATR72 twin turbo-prop landed in a strong crosswind, veered off the runway and crashed into an old control tower now being used as a parking area for fire engines. Police investigator Sayan Sadsri said the pilot, Chartchai Pansuwan, was killed and seven people hurt. All of the injured were taken to Bangkok Samui hospital, Pol Maj Sayan said. Civil Aviation Department Deputy Director-General Kannika Khemawuthanont said 68 passengers and four cabin crew boarded the plane in Krabi. After the crash, Thai Airways International cancelled two flights to Samui, TG 287 and TG 288, leaving more than 200 passengers stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Samui airport was closed after the accident. For information on the names of passengers on board the flight and their conditions, call Bangkok Airways Hotline at 02-265-8777 or 1771. It said relatives could contact its emergency call centre at 02-2687557 for more information. The Nation Quote
Gaybutton Posted August 4, 2009 Author Posted August 4, 2009 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Samui Crash Kills Pilot Officials Say Rain, Wind Struck Plane as it Landed Writer: SUPAPONG CHAOLAN AND AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK Published: 5/08/2009 Aviation officials have rushed to Koh Samui to begin investigating the crash of the Bangkok Airways plane which killed the pilot and injured 12 people, four of them seriously. Those injured include the co-pilot, the two crew members and nine passengers. The accident yesterday forced the closure of the one-runway airport and it will remain out of action until the Civil Aviation Department officials order the debris to be cleared. Witnesses to the accident, including airport staff, have suggested a heavy rainstorm at the time was likely to have disrupted the landing of PG 226 from Krabi which had 68 passengers, two pilots and two crew members on board, the CAD said. The accident occurred at 2.30pm. The French-manufactured 70-seat ATR 72-500 aircraft skidded off the runway as it was touching down in heavy rains and strong winds. It crashed into an old air traffic control tower. Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-osoth said the pilot apparently died on impact. Mr Puttipong and CAD director-general Kannika Khemawuthanont said civil aviation officials were dispatched to the resort island to investigate the accident along with Bangkok Airways staff. As the airport was closed, the officials had to take a flight to Surat Thani and continue to the resort island by ferry. Deputy chief of the department Wutthichai Singmanee said the investigators needed to examine the flight recorder first. The front part of the plane hit the old air traffic control tower which had been transformed into a fire station. The front section was severely damaged. Mr Puttipong said chief pilot Chartchai Pansuwan, 58, who died in the crash, was an experienced operator and had piloted ATR72-500 aircraft for 14 years. The aircraft was commissioned in 2001 and had flown more than 19,000 flights. The aircraft, including accident coverage, was insured for US$250 million (8.5 billion baht) with Bangkok Insurance Co. The four passengers seriously injured were two Britons, one Swiss and one Italian. Most of the injured suffered broken legs or leg wounds. Mr Puttipong said most of the passengers were foreign tourists including nationals of Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain and France. Somchai Baimuang of the Meteorological Department yesterday said strong winds reaching 30 knots were recorded at the time of the crash. An official at the airport who asked not to be named said there were heavy rains and strong winds before the landing. "During the landing there was a strong wind. What happened is similar to the crash of the One-Two-Go plane in Phuket," he said. On Sept 16, 2007, a One-Two-Go plane crashed while landing in bad weather in Phuket, killing 88 people. Health officials said nine people remained hospitalised including the co-pilot who was among the last to be evacuated from the aircraft. Following the crash, calls for donations of blood Type B were made through television and radio stations. The airport closure forced Thai Airways International to cancel two flights, TG 288 and TG 287, between Bangkok and Samui. According to THAI, the cancellation affected 292 passengers and accommodation would be arranged for them. Bangkok Airways has set up an emergency call centre number - 02 265 8777. Samui airport currently handles 16 flights a day. That figures increases to 24 during the high season. ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ Bangkok Airways Crash Kills Captain, Injures 11 Published on August 5, 2009 A Bangkok Airways turboprop skidded off a runway on the southern resort island of Koh Samui yesterday, killing its pilot and injuring 11 passengers and crew. Airline president Puttipong Prasarttong-osoth said Captain Chartchai Punsuwan was killed when the aircraft, an ATR72-500, hit an unused air-traffic-control tower. The co-pilot was injured in the accident, Puttipong said, adding that Chartchai had flown for Bangkok Airways for 19 years. The captain also had 17 years' experience flying the ATR 72-500. The accident took place amid heavy rain as the pilots attempted to land. Eyewitnesses said there was a loud noise when the aircraft hit the tower following the landing, after which a fire broke out that killed the pilot and injured 11 others. The ATR72-500 can seat 70 passengers. Koh Samui Airport is closed temporarily while the Civil Aviation Department investigates the cause of the accident. Puttipong said four passengers received serious injuries: two Britons, one Spaniard and one Italian. Bangkok Airways' insurers will be responsible for compensation. The aircraft is covered by Bangkok Insurance for US$250 million (Bt8.5 billion). The airline yesterday cancelled seven flights out of Koh Samui Airport and another seven to the island. Passengers on Koh Samui were transferred by boat to Surat Thani Airport for charter flights to Bangkok. Bangkok Airways is allowed to operate 34 flights a day |to Koh Samui, while Thai Airways (THAI) has a twice-daily service. THAI senior executive vice president Narongsak Sanga-pong said the national flag carrier also had to suspend its service to Koh Samui, due to the airport's closure. As a result, two return flights were suspended, affecting 292 passengers. Once the airport reopens, the company will resume its normal flight schedule. Treated in hospital Injured passengers Bangkok-Samui Hospital Thanawat Premrudee, 35, co-pilot Linda Thongkorn, 28, crew member Supanasa Namjit, 25, crew member Nicolas Havel, 39, Briton Panteli Pantelis, 39, Briton Joyce Goosleng, 26, Briton Claire Ballantye, 38, Briton Elodie Lacovangelo, 41, Swiss Mirella Gastaldi, 39, Italian Ban Don Inter Hospital Abreheam Gzaaf, 42, Dutch Lucar Gzaaf, 11, Dutch Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted August 5, 2009 Posted August 5, 2009 An official at the airport who asked not to be named said there were heavy rains and strong winds before the landing. "During the landing there was a strong wind. What happened is similar to the crash of the One-Two-Go plane in Phuket," he said The above quote is extraordinary, especially coming from an airport official. The cause of the 2007 Phuket crash has been very clearly identified as "pilot error and fatigue" and not the bad weather! Whilst it will be months, if not years, before the cause of this latest crash is identified, I rarely accept initial reports that weather is to blame. A pilot has 100% control over whether he lands a plane or not. There is a wealth of up-to-the-minute information available to pilots and control towers about weather hazards, but the pilot makes the final decision. If he/she has the slightest doubt that it will be unsafe to land, he is duty-bound to abort. Quote
