Thai police ground aircraft for safety checks after fatal crashes
Police chief visits aviation division in Bangkok to follow up on investigations
The national police chief has suspended all police aircraft for comprehensive safety evaluations following two crashes within a month that resulted in the deaths of nine people.
Police General Kittharath Punpetch announced yesterday, May 26, that all planes belonging to the Thai Police Aviation Division (TPAD) would remain grounded until they complete new safety inspections.
“Experiencing two crashes in a single month is alarming, and the causes are yet to be identified.”
He emphasised that aircraft would stay grounded until their readiness for operation is confirmed, ensuring that pilots with extensive flying experience can perform their duties with confidence.
The police chief also plans to visit the TPAD in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok to review the progress of the investigations into the two crashes.
This visit aims to establish guidelines for maintaining police aircraft and to determine whether any should be retired.
The two recent crashes involving police aircraft resulted in nine fatalities.
On April 25, a DHC6-400 Twin Otter crashed near the beach in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province, killing all six people on board. The 16-seater Canadian-made aircraft, built in 2017, was undergoing a test flight post-maintenance.
On Saturday, May 24, a Bell 212 police helicopter crash in the Mueang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan led to the deaths of three people. The police chief noted that the helicopter had been in use for approximately 40 years.
TPAD had originally acquired 10 Bell 212 helicopters, with three currently operational. These helicopters were inspected on April 13, and no issues were detected, reported Bangkok Post.
In another plane crash incident last year, a small plane crash in Chachoengsao province on the afternoon of August 22, 2024, triggered an urgent search operation in a dense mangrove forest. The aircraft went down at 3.15pm near Wat Khao Din in Bang Pakong district, scattering debris across the remote terrain.
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