Plane to see: Suspicions surround Chachoengsao plane crash

Details surrounding the small plane crash in Chachoengsao have begun to emerge, revealing several suspicious factors. It was reported that the weather was fair on the day of the incident, with no rain clouds and the captain was very experienced.

It took some 11 hours for rescue teams to search for the bodies of all those onboard a small plane which crashed in the area of ​​Village No. 6, Khao Din subdistrict, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province, ending at 2am today, August 23. The excavated aeroplane parts have been collected at Khao Din Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, awaiting special officials to come and inspect the remains.

The page, The Secret Records of the Pilot, a platform that collects aviation news and aviation knowledge, has come out to comment on the incident, noting that this plane crash was strange.

Below are seven points that were noted:

1. The weather on the day

The weather at the time the plane took off was fair, with almost no clouds and no rain. Therefore, the weather should not have been a factor in the accident.

2. The altitude of the flight

The plane had flown about 10 to 20 miles from Suvarnabhumi Airport, with the heading indicator at 100, which is normal for small planes. The altitude was not high because the control tower had allowed the plane to fly at no more than 3,000 to 5,000 feet at the start of the journey.

3. Airplane models and basic characteristics

The Cessna Grand Caravan is a small, multi-purpose, propeller-powered passenger aircraft that seats 12 people (including 2 pilots). The average travel speed is 120 to 150 nautical miles per hour, approximately 220 to 300 kilometres per hour. There is no legal requirement for this type of aeroplane to have a flight recorder (black box).

4. The automatic distress signal was dysfunctional

This type of aeroplane should have an ELT (Emergency Location Transmitter) device, which is a location identification device. If the plane crashes, this device will automatically send a distress signal to various frequencies of the aviation radio and identify the flight location for rescue units to assist. However, the SOS signal was not received at the time of the accident.

5. The captain was an experienced flight instructor

The captain was an experienced flight instructor and was also the owner of the aeroplane. There is no doubt about his flying skills. The co-pilot is also known to be talented and highly knowledgeable.

6. The nature of the plane’s fall

The nature of the plane’s fall into the ground more than 10 meters deep means that the plane almost fell at a 90-degree angle for such depth.

From the audio clip that reporters requested from the CCTV footage from nearby villagers, the sound of the engine still running can be heard. That means that the engine still had power before falling headlong into the ground, contrary to flight principles as the Grand Caravan winged plane is designed to have high stability. Even when the engine is off, the plane can still glide for quite a distance. Therefore, a headlong fall is very unlikely.

7. Landing decision

If the engine of the plane fails, the plane can still adjust the blade angle to reduce drag. Moreover, the pilots are trained in the procedures that they have to follow in the case that the engine breaks down.

The pilot must choose a landing location which must not be a swampy area or muddy ground. There were other safer places to land, reported KhaoSod.

The list of the deceased has been updated:

The five Chinese nationals were 12 year old Zhang Jingjing, 13 year old Yin Hang, 43 year old Zhang Jing, 42 year old Tang Yu, and 45 year old Yin Jinfeng.

The two Thai flight attendants were 35 year old Napak Jeerasiri and 26 year old Siriyupa Arunathit.

The two pilots on the ill-fated flight were 61 year old Anucha Dejapirakchon and 30 year old Pornsak Totap, reported The Nation.

UPDATE: Nine confirmed dead in Chachoengsao plane crash

A small plane carrying nine people, including passengers and crew, tragically crashed just 10 minutes after takeoff in Chachoengsao province yesterday. All on board are dead.

The harrowing incident occurred yesterday afternoon, August 22, when officials began the grim task of recovering the wreckage in Moo 6, Ban Khao Din, Bang Pakong district.

Initially, the bodies of the passengers were nowhere to be found, sparking concern. However, it was soon discovered that the aircraft had plunged nose-first into the earth, embedding itself more than 10 metres deep in the muddy ground.

The recovery effort has been fraught with challenges. Rescuers had to bring in an excavator to clear a waterway at the crash site, as seawater flooded the area, which is surrounded by rice fields, irrigation canals, fish ponds, and shrimp farms.

The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan C208 with registration HSSKR, belonged to Thai Flying Service Company Limited and was operating as flight TFT209.

It took off from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2.46pm, en route to Trat Airport. Contact was lost with Bangkok Approach at 2.57pm, just 18.7 nautical miles from its departure point.

Chachoengsao Province Governor Chonlatee Yangtrong revealed that approximately 300 officials have been mobilised in the search for the bodies. So far, several human body parts have been discovered.

Among the passengers were five Chinese nationals, including a 12 year old girl, and four Thai nationals, including the two pilots and two flight attendants, reported KhaoSod English.

Apart from the 12 year old girl, the four other Chinese nationals were identified as a 43 year old female named Zhang, a 45 year old Chinese woman, and two 13 year old girls named Yin and Tang.

The four Thai nationals were identified as a 35 year old woman named Napak and 26 year old Siriyupa who were both flight attendants, 30 year old Pornsak (co-pilot), and 61 year old Anucha (pilot).