Samui damaged plane to be scrapped

Bangkok Airways aims to write off the ATR 72-500 turboprop damaged in last Tuesday's plane crash at Samui Airport.

The privately owned carrier has filed a US$11.7-million compensation claim with Bangkok Insurance for the total loss of the French-made plane, said the airline's vice president M.L. Nandhika Varavarn.

International aviation experts agree that the aircraft cannot be fixed, given the extensive damage to its nose section -- regarded as the nerve centre of the plane -- and that any repairs could raise safety fears.

The carrier's view of the aircraft as a write-off reflects the airline's unwillingness to return the plane to its fleet even if repaired.

"Safety is our priority, '' said M.L. Nandhika.

The insurance company must dispose of the aircraft wreckage after authorities, the manufacturer and other parties have completed their investigation into the accident, aviation experts said.

Last Tuesday, the plane slid off  a runway after landing at Samui Airport and then ploughed into a disused control tower, killing its pilot and and injuring 12  passengers and crew, four of them seriously.