16 July 2011
Three army helicopters crash in one month
July was a dreadful month for the Army with three of its helicopters crashing in roughly the same area in little more than a week.
The accidents all occurred in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi. Sixteen soldiers and one Channel 5 cameraman died. A single officer was the sole survivor of the three tragedies.
The first occurred on July 16 when a Huey-UH-1H helicopter, carrying five officers crashed while on a mission to airlift a team of 50 forestry officers, media and suspected forest encroachers who had been left stranded in the jungle when bad weather had prevented a previously scheduled airlift.
On July 19, a Black Hawk helicopter with nine officers on board headed into the forest to retrieve the bodies of the five dead soldiers. It also crashed.
Then on July 24, a Bell 212 helicopter suffered the same fate when it took four officers to join the retrieval mission for the first two downed aircraft. Criticism from all sectors overwhelmed the army after the accidents, raising considerable doubts around its plans to purchase more helicopters.
The Huey-UH-1H was among 30 helicopters decommissioned by the US army which gave them to Thailand on condition it paid for their repair. The crash of the Huey, which was checked and repaired in 2004, resulted from turbulent weather conditions, insisted former Royal Thai Army Aviation commander Pitaya Krajangwong. As for the Black Hawk, it was among seven new ones bought from the US in 2002. The copter also crashed in bad weather, Maj Gen Pitaya added.
The 19-year-old Bell 212, among a fleet of 20 of its kind, was also a first-hand helicopter bought in 1992. According to the army, it crashed because of a tail rotor failure. However, due to lack of funds, the Black Hawk was not equipped with weather radar.
16 July 2011
Three army helicopters crash in one month
July was a dreadful month for the Army with three of its helicopters crashing in roughly the same area in little more than a week.
The accidents all occurred in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi. Sixteen soldiers and one Channel 5 cameraman died. A single officer was the sole survivor of the three tragedies.
The first occurred on July 16 when a Huey-UH-1H helicopter, carrying five officers crashed while on a mission to airlift a team of 50 forestry officers, media and suspected forest encroachers who had been left stranded in the jungle when bad weather had prevented a previously scheduled airlift.
On July 19, a Black Hawk helicopter with nine officers on board headed into the forest to retrieve the bodies of the five dead soldiers. It also crashed.
Then on July 24, a Bell 212 helicopter suffered the same fate when it took four officers to join the retrieval mission for the first two downed aircraft. Criticism from all sectors overwhelmed the army after the accidents, raising considerable doubts around its plans to purchase more helicopters.
The Huey-UH-1H was among 30 helicopters decommissioned by the US army which gave them to Thailand on condition it paid for their repair. The crash of the Huey, which was checked and repaired in 2004, resulted from turbulent weather conditions, insisted former Royal Thai Army Aviation commander Pitaya Krajangwong. As for the Black Hawk, it was among seven new ones bought from the US in 2002. The copter also crashed in bad weather, Maj Gen Pitaya added.
The 19-year-old Bell 212, among a fleet of 20 of its kind, was also a first-hand helicopter bought in 1992. According to the army, it crashed because of a tail rotor failure. However, due to lack of funds, the Black Hawk was not equipped with weather radar.