Thai Plane Crashes In Phuket

**dirtydog** · 17-09-2007, 12:36 AM

50 Foreigners among 87 killed in Phuket plane crash

Eighty-seven people, 50 of them foreigners, were killed when a budget commercial airliner crashlanded at Phuket Airport in bad weather conditions Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Published on September 17, 2007

Forty-three people survived in the first local disaster for lowcost airline industry since its introduction a few years ago.

One Two Go Flight OG 269 lost balance while touching down and skidded off the runway. The MD82 plane slammed into trees and an earth embankment, exploding and breaking in two, witnesses and officials said.

Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla said 87 people died and 43 people survived. There were a total of 130 passenger and crew on the plane.

Of the 43 survivors, 15 are Thais and 28 foreigners.

The verification of identities of both the dead and injured were far from complete at press time.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongchaum earlier said that there were 78 foreigners on board. Tourists from Australia, Austria, Britain, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands were being treated at main provincial hospitals.

A surviving Thai passenger said the plane "landed hard" and "bounced" and then skidded off the runway. Air Transport Department chief Chiasak Angkauwan said, "the airplane requested to land but due to the weather in Phuket strong wind and heavy rain maybe the pilot did not see the runway clearly."

One survivor told of a fast drop in altitude by the airplane and sudden brief jerk upward. He said they plane then crashlanded and exploded. He saw several fellow passengers on fire.

It was not immediately clear if the pilot, who was reportedly killed, was attempting to pull the aircraft up in the last minute when it crashlanded. He had reportedly been allowed to circle the airport to wait for improvement in weather conditions.

An official at the Phuket Airport control tower, who asked not to be named, said the pilot had been told of bad weather conditions, especially very strong winds. Shortly before the illfated flight crashlanded, another lowcost airliner originating from Hong Kong had successfully touched down, he said.

Officials said victims could have died on impact, or from suffocation or fire resulting from explosions. According to an initial account, the plane's fuselage was torn open in the accident, some of the survivors were those thrown out through the opening.

Flight OG 269, approached the Phuket airport at about 3.40pm from Bangkok. Phuket had earlier been hit by heavy rains.

Eyewitnesses said the impact of the crash caused the plane to break in two and they heard loud explosions.

Rescue teams and navy personnel were involved in the rescue operation. Bodies were piled up in the smouldering wreckage. All flights in and out of the Phuket airport have been cancelled.

An Irish tourist, identifying himself only as "John", said he was on board the flight. He and his friend survived with bruises all over their bodies.

"We sat on the 18th row. The weather was real bad and there were lots of unusual noises during the landing. Something was obviously wrong [during the landing]," he said. He and his friend escaped through the emergency door.

Meanwhile Transportation Minister Thira Haochareon said Phuket International Airport was temporary closed after the crash. He said the body of the aircraft hit the runway and was on fire. The air traffic control source said the aircraft's right wing made contact with the runway at the initial stage of the accident.

MacDonnel Douglas MD82 has a passenger capacity of 175 seats, with flight ceiling of 37,000 feet and flight distance of 3,500 kilometres.

AFP reported that the accident was witnessed from the sky. It said Marine Keisel, from Paris, was aboard a plane behind the one that crashed and saw the accident happen.

"When the plane landed it caught fire," she told AFP at Phuket airport. "We could see the fire coming out of it. It was chaos inside my plane."

Authorities say they will not make any assumption regarding the cause of the tragedy until investigation is completed, although bad weather was obviously a problem at the airport over the weekend. An American pilot who landed just prior to the One Two Go plane reportedly told CNN that the landing was one of the toughest he had ever undertaken - indicating that the weather conditions were severe.

Like several other airlines, One Two Go has reportedly undergone manpower changes. The boss of One Two Go and Orient Thai budget airlines, Udom Tantisprongchai, is said to have replaced several of his Western and Thai pilots - allegedly to cut costs and reduce the chance of work disputes _ with crews with Indonesian and Philippine pilots.

However, authorities insisted it was too soon to presume anything, including whether human errors played a part in the tragedy.

Certain reports said the pilot was given permission to abort the landing in the final minutes.

Communications between the pilot and the air traffic controller and their judgements _ information contained in the black box _ could shed some light on the tragedy. Some aviation sources said an instruction or decision to land in Krabi could have been taken in extreme weather conditions.

Last night a swarm of media had descended on the office of One Two Go, near the intersection of Asoke and Sukhumvit. With the high death toll and the fact that it took place in the heart of Thailand's tourism industry, the issue of whether or not there were human errors involved could become hot up very soon, the aviation sources said.

The Nation

watterinja · 17-09-2007, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Like several other airlines, One Two Go has reportedly undergone manpower changes. The boss of One Two Go and Orient Thai budget airlines, Udom Tantisprongchai, is said to have replaced several of his Western and Thai pilots - allegedly to cut costs and reduce the chance of work disputes _ with crews with Indonesian and Philippine pilots.

Well, fancy that...

**dirtydog** · 17-09-2007, 12:58 AM

List of passengers injured in Phuket Airport's plane crash

Update - List of passengers injured in the plane crash at Phuket Airport treated at Siriroj Phuket Hospital and Krungthep Phuket Hospital

Krungthep- Phuket Hospital

- Witchuhon Singnopon, 25, Thai

- John O'donnel, 50, Ireland

- Paiboon Pahan, 39, Thai

- Christoph Falchetm, 36, Germany

- Marcel Squincbal, 37, Austria

- Benjamin Zachary Gree, 24, UK

- Peter JamesHill, 35, UK

- Claus Benjamin Voigt, 24, Germany

- Clemens Rothmann, 27, Germany

- Ashley Scott Harrow, 27, UK

- Claudia Rothmann, 25, Germany

- Maryau Mirtaheri, 34, Iran

- Claus Benjamin, 24, Netherlands

- Redz, 30, UK

- Hashem Parviz, 40, Iran

- Hasham Madia, Iran

- Movahed Abbas Kiyani, 37, Italy

- Christopher Edward Cooley, 23, UK

- Miss Red, 22, Thai

- Porawit Mahasap, 41, Thai

- William Burke, 23, UK

- Red, UK

- Vladimir, 29, Ireland

- Isabella Freylikhman, 27, Ireland

- Chaolert Jitjamnong, 48, Thai

- Chatree Suksawat, 48, Thai

- Chawit Jitjamnong, 11

- Robert Borlane, 28, Austria

- Mldred Anne Furlong 30

- Menrdhu Kiyan

- Mahsa Fatoorechi

Vajira Phuket Hospital

- Savitri Denny, 35

- Boerkamp, 29 - Netherlands

Siriroj - Phuket Hospital

- ICU

1. Likhit Liengpansakul - ICU

2. Parinwit Choosaeng - ICU

3. Chainarong maharae - ICU

4. Apichart Pata

5. Eric Nihlen (Sweden)

6. Christopher Marken (Sweden)

7. Nong Kaonual

8. Ladda Kaonual

9. Pratin Lienchamroon

10. Sara (unknown surname) (Netherland)

* Foreign names's correct spellings need to be updated.

The Nation

**Richard Littlejohn** · 17-09-2007, 01:09 AM

It could so easily be any one of us here on that list & pray God we don't end up on the other one.

RIP, poor souls.

**guyinthailand** · 17-09-2007, 01:16 AM

If you check out the excellent site, airsafeDOTcom you will see the md-80 has an extremely low accident rate. but this plane was an md-82 and i don't see rates for that model.

**pugforever** · 17-09-2007, 01:17 AM

anyone have any idea how the weather in phuket is? i'm going with nok air 9.00 am. thank you.

**chinthee** · 17-09-2007, 01:20 AM

It's been raining a lot. Not sure of the outlook tomorrow. It's also raining hard right now in Bangkok.

**Richard Littlejohn** · 17-09-2007, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by guyinthailand

Not on, matey.

**pugforever** · 17-09-2007, 01:30 AM

^^thanks chinthee. i'm glad that you or any of us and the family members were not in the plane.

**Richard Littlejohn** · 17-09-2007, 01:34 AM

^

I heard on the TV an hour ago that Phuket airport was closed.

**pugforever** · 17-09-2007, 01:48 AM

^it was closed but should be opened by tomorrow morning. the other airlines, but orient air announced their flights will be per normal.

**mrsquirrel** · 17-09-2007, 04:14 AM

Another bad year for tourism - Past 4 or 5 years something big has happened - SARS, bird-flu,tsunami, bombs in BKK, now this, they don't get a break do they.

**Richard Littlejohn** · 17-09-2007, 04:19 AM

Just seen John [O'donnel, 50, Ireland] on TV & he is a right mess, though nearer thirty than fifty. Lots of bandages covering his wounds but he described seeing people on fire & such. Simply awful. This could have been anybody here, that's what makes it that bit more horrfic.

**astasinim** · 17-09-2007, 05:17 AM

Full Passenger List

Taken from here Bangkok Post Breaking News

(Bangkok Post)

PASSENGER MANIFEST
123 passengers on board Flight OG 269, operated by airline One-Two-Go

* denotes those confirmed to have survived and/or hospitalised.

1.Mr Werner Adelhardt
2.Ms Lily Alon
3.Mr Alain Bembaron
4.Mrs Brigitte Bino
5.Mr Itzhak Biton
6.Mr Alexius Boerkamp*
7.Mr Jeanmarie Bonachera
8.Mrs Josiane Bonachera
9.Mr Chawapon Boonmeechai
10.Mrs Wanaporn Boonsung
11.Mr Robert Borland*
12.Mr Philippe Bregeard
13.Mr William Burke*
14.Mr Sinchai Chaiarun
15.Mr Jakkapon Chairitinanon
16.Mr Parinyawith Choosang*
17.Mr Alexander Collins
18.Mr Chirstopher Cooley*
19.Mr Jesada Dechakul
20.Mr Colin Denny
21.Mrs Sawitree Denny*
22.Ms Hofit Eliya
23.Mr Christoph Falchetti*
24.Mr Michael Falcone
25.Mrs Mahsa Fatoorehchi*
26.Ms Arisa Fayad
27.Ms Tal Feldman
28.Ms Isabella Freylikhman*
29.Mr Vladimir Freylikhman*
30.Ms Anne Furlong*
31.Mrs Laetitia Gambu
32.Ms Hila Gershoni
33.Mr Saeid Ghayoumi
34.Ms Sansa Ghayoumi
35.Mr Scott Harrow*
36.Ms Madia Hashemi*
37.Mr Parviz Hashemi*
38.Mr Peter Hill*
39.Mrs Susan Howell
40.Mrs Sara Izadine
41.Chawit Jitjamnong*
42.Mr Chowalert Jitjamnong*
43.Mrs Siriphut Jitjamnong
44.Mr Alireza Jodatfar
45.Mr Jahangir Jodatfar
46.Mr Mohammadreza Jodatfar
47.Ms Bethan Jones
48.Mr Simon Jonsson
49.Ms Khatha Kanchanasutha
50.Mrs Ladda Khawnoun*
51.Mr Nong Khawnoun*
52.Mr Nasser Bonab
53.Ms Mehrana Movahed*
54.Mr Abbas Movahed*
55.Ms Mullika Koysin
56.Mr Chakart Kulwanich
57.Ms Pratin Lainjumroon*
58.Mr Thibaud Lamere
59.Mr Sudprasong Laosiriwut
60.Mr Likhit Liengphansakul*
61.Ms Fermina Macaire
62.Mr Henri Macaire
63.Mr Chainarong Maharae*
64.Mr Porrawit Mahasup*
65.Mr Teerayuth Manoorakchinakorn
66.Mr Christopher Markensven*
67.Mr Jacques Marnef
68.Ms Kaninnat Martmuang
69.Ms Wantana Meesang
70.Ms Amnuj Meesil
71.Ms Maryam Taheri*
72.Ms Mojgan Mohebbianjedani
73.Ms Fereshteh Mokhlesukhchi
74.Mr Brain Mullery
75.Mr Di Naima
76.Ms Rotem Naouri
77.Mr Erik Nihler
78.Mr John O'Donnell*
79.Mrs Homeira Omdeekhodaitehrani
80.Mrs Pranee Panyakong
81.Mr Paiboon Phaphan*
82.Mr Sanya Phromarak
83.Mr Rasqul Pourmehr
84.Mr Mahmoud Pourmehr
85.Mr Suchip Prantoon
86.Ms Puengboon Ratnadilok na Phuket
87.Mr Raj Rattanaphon
88.Ms Claudia Rothmann*
89.Mr Clemens Rothmann*
90.Mr Pichai Rueathong
91.Mr Mehoi Safaebtabrizi
92.Ms Cho Safaebtabrizi
93.Mr Hossein Safaebtabrizi
94.Mr Thanavut Saikay
95.Ms Fahimeh Salek
96.Ms Linnea Sandberg
97.Ms Patcharin Sattayapongsaporn
98.Mr Stephen Saunby
99.Ms Busakon Saunjarun
100.Ms Sabine Schumacher
101.Ms Supalak Shueaw
102.Mrs Benchawan Sichaiin
103.Mr Witchupol Singhapol*
104.Mrs Helen Slater
105.Mr Neil Slater
106.Mr Marcel Squinobal*
107.Mr Chatree Suksawas*
108.Mr Somphot Sungkhaphong
109.Ms Jiranuch Suwannarat
110.Mr Farshas Tazhibi
111.Mrs Yajai Thanyakarn
112.Ms Rachel Toland
113.Mr Aaron Toland
114.Mr Apichai Trompronpitakkul
115.Mrs Siriluk Tuptanee
116.Mr Sirikorn Unsakul
117.Mrs Somluk Unsakul
118.Mr Meysam Valaie
119.Mr Benjamin Voigtmann*
120.Mr Francis Weston
121.Mrs Mary Weston
122.Ms Marie Whittington*
123.Mr Stefan Woronoff

Important telephone numbers:

One-Two-Go Hotline 1126
Bangkok Phuket Hospital 076-254421-9
Siriroj Hospital 076-249400
Vajira Phuket Hospital 076-361234
Mission Phuket Hospital 076-237220-9
Thalang Hospital 076-311033
British Embassy's emergency centre 02-3058333

**corvettelover** · 17-09-2007, 05:41 AM

Aussie tv reported this morning 88 confirmed dead one aussie missing, our immigration reported. Hopefully its like the indonesia crash where aussie just walked to airport and got on another plane or he went home in shock.

I normally divest my self of wallet and passport and mobile and stick in hand luggage.which will make identification difficult for bodies after fire

Thank god it wasnt a 747 that crashed or the toll could have been worse.
Sad for all the relatives, thai and falang.

Have been on that flight myself several times, as I am sure many others have

**The Gentleman Scamp** · 17-09-2007, 09:29 AM

MD-80? What is that Airbus, Boeing?

I doubt if One Two Crash would fork ouyt on a new Airbus or Boeing... I once flew with them on a very old second hand 747 from Phuket to Bangers.

**WhiteLotusLane** · 17-09-2007, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

MD-80? What is that Airbus, Boeing?

McDonnel-Douglas. It's now owned by Boeing, who now call it the Boeing 717. I'm not smart, but Auntie Google knew someone who knew.

I doubt if One Two Crash would fork ouyt on a new Airbus or Boeing...

The plane was leased. It was insured.

I once flew with them on a very old second hand 747 from Phuket to Bangers.

I'd be surprised if it was only second hand. I flew with them once as well, years ago, which was enough.

**Sir Burr** · 17-09-2007, 10:52 AM

I remember flying an Orient Thai 727 from Phuket to U-Tapao airport.
The Boeing 727 was so old, it had leather seats and the windows had curtains, not slides.
Excellent grey-haired American pilot, though.

**Mid** · 17-09-2007, 11:30 AM

Thai crash pilot 'tried to abort'

The jet carrying 130 people skipped and skidded off the runway while trying to land, survivors said [AFP]

A passenger jet which crashed in southern Thailand, killing 88 of the 130 people on board, tried to abort its landing moments before it smashed into the ground, officials say.

The aircraft, operated by Bangkok-based budget operator One-Two-Go, was trying to land in bad weather at the resort island of Phuket.

Both the pilots were among those killed in Sunday's crash.

Many survivors suffered from serious burns and other injuries caused by the fire that broke out after the crash and the panicked rush by passengers to escape.

Investigators at the crash site said on Monday they had recovered both the aircraft's flight data recorders.

Officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board were also heading to Thailand to assist with the inquiry.

Most of the passengers on board the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, were holidaymakers headed for the popular beach resorts on Phuket.

The bodies of the dead, many badly burned, have been laid out in a temporary morgue in the airport terminal with no space for them in local hospitals.

Among the survivors were 14 Thais, eight Britons, five Iranians and four Germans.

Vorapot Rajsima, Phuket's deputy governor, said five surviviors were in critical condition after suffering burns to 60 per cent of their bodies.

"There was a man behind us and he was on fire"
Nong Khaonual, survivor

Turbulence

Among the less seriously injured survivors, many spoke of atrocious weather conditions as the aircraft prepared to land, with torrential rain and strong winds lashing the coastal airstrip.

Several reported the plane hitting turbulence coming into land before banking sharply left as the pilot apparently tried to abort the landing.

As it turned, the aircraft's left wing struck treetops, bringing it crashing to the ground and bursting into flames.

"The plane was flying around trying to land. It was making some noises and it was bad rain," John Gerard O'Donnell, an Irish survivor, told Thailand's ITV channel.

Bodies have been laid out in the airport because local hospitals have no room [EPA]

"You can tell it was in trouble, because it kind of landed then came up again the second time."

Nong Khaonual, a Thai survivor, said: "Just before we touched the runway we felt the plane try to lift up, and it skidded off the runway."

He told Thailand's Nation Television of the desperate struggle to escape with some passengers trapped and on fire.

"My wife was half conscious and I dragged her out of the emergency exit. There was a man behind us and he was on fire."

Survivors said fire quickly broke out and engulfed the aircraft fuselage, filling it with thick smoke.

Millie Furlong, 23, from British Colombia, said passengers tried desperately to escape the burning jet.

"The guy behind me was kicking at the window. He kept kicking and kicking the window or the door, whatever it was, but it wasn't loosening," she told Reuters from her hospital bed.

"If it hadn't opened we would have died. It was dark and smokey. I felt like I was going to pass out."

Safety worries

The crash is likely to raise safety questions for the dozens of budget carriers that have sprung up across Asia in the last decade.

None of Thailand's budget carriers has suffered a serious crash, but a spate of incidents in Indonesia in particular has raised concerns.

In Bangkok, a top airline executive expressed regret over Sunday's crash as distraught relatives and tour agency representatives pored over the passenger list.

Udom Tantiprasongchai, chairman of One-Two-Go parent company Orient Thai Airlines, promised a full investigation.

"I'm deeply sorry about this tragic event," he said.

"Tomorrow the police will set up an investigating committee to find out what actually caused the accident. What we need to do right now is take care of the injured."

Source: Agencies
english.aljazeera.net

**ozman** · 17-09-2007, 11:30 AM

I think you will find that most ( not all, but most )of the budget airlines in Asia would be using leased secondhand airplanes

watterinja · 17-09-2007, 12:11 PM

Most likely fifth, or sixth, or more-hand.

**panama hat** · 17-09-2007, 12:12 PM

Thais here in our office are saying that the pilot is Indonesian . . . True or just another face-saving bit of nonsense?

**Thetyim** · 17-09-2007, 12:15 PM

^ It was reported that an Indonesian pilot died in the crash
It did not say that he was the pilot.

If he was flying the plane at the time then the headlines of "one two..gone" would have been suppressed I think

**Mid** · 17-09-2007, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by panama hat

Thais here in our office are saying that the pilot is Indonesian . . . True or just another face-saving bit of nonsense?

INDONESIAN PILOT AMONG THE DEAD IN PLANE CRASH

Indonesian pilot Arif Mulyadi was one of the 88 casualties of Sunday's air crash on the Thai resort island of Phuket, an official at Indonesia's foreign ministry said.
alertnet.org

**The_Dude** · 17-09-2007, 12:32 PM

So sad. My wife and I prayed for the people on the plane and thier families. I can't imagine the feeling the families are going through.

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