The air force has begun its investigation into the cause of Saturday's helicopter crash which killed two pilots and one mechanic, saying it is too soon to say whether bad weather or aircraft malfunction were to blame.
An aviation safety team was sent to the crash site in a deep valley adjoining Chanthaburi and Rayong provinces to examine the crash site, collect evidence and bring the wreckage back for inspection, air force chief ACM Tritos Sonjaeng said Wednesday.
He said the investigation could be lengthy as several factors were likely involved in the crash, including the age of the helicopter, terrain and weather conditions.
The 40-year-old UH-1H Huey helicopter went missing over the Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park bordering Rayong's Khao Chamao district and Chanthaburi's Khaeng Hang Maew district while on its way to deliver supplies from Don Mueang airport to a radar station on Khao Chamao mountain.
A search team found the wrecage and the dead bodies of the three crew on Tuesday morning. The bodies were retrieved on Tuesday and transported by air to Bangkok.
Asked if the air force would reconsider plans for delivering supplies to remote radar stations, ACM Tritos said the air force had a plan to replace radar technology with more modern telecommunication technology to decrease the need for human operations which requires shuttling supplies to remote stations.
"We're considering replacing [radar technology] with either the microwave system or something else such as the fibre-optic system or satellite," he said.
Of all the radar stations located on mountain tops across the country, the one on the Khao Chamao mountain is most difficult to reach, he said, adding that without any road leading up to the radar station, the most convenient option is to deliver supplies using a helicopter.
ACM Tritos insisted that even though the helicopter was old, it had undergone regular maintenance.
The air force plans to decommission 10 of its 20 Huey transport helicopters and replace them with new models, he said.