CAAT probe crash of light-aircraft that killed South African pilot

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has inspected the wreckage of a private light aircraft that crashed in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district yesterday. The crash precipitated a fire that killed the 60 year old pilot, Mike Romberg from South Africa.

The turboprop light aircraft crashed to the ground when it was about to make a landing at Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok’s airport in Tambon Bang Phra. The pilot was immediately engulfed in the fire that followed.

Sakrin Amaraporn, an official from the airport who took a video clip of the incident, said the small plane’s reserve jet-fuel container may have contributed to the fatal, fast-spreading fire.

The crash and blaze happened very fast, bellowing out smoke as high as a three-storey building,” he said.

He and the victim’s friends were in a state of shock and grief over what had happened. Nanthachat said that, while the deceased pilot’s body had been sent for autopsy at the Police General Hospital’s morgue in Bangkok, the investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing and witnesses, including Romberg’s friends, would be interviewed.

As it was a small aircraft, there was no black box to help in the crash investigation, she added.

SOURCE: The Nation