Three die in chopper crash

News > Security

Fleet grounded, rotor failure suspected cause

Published: 25/07/2011 at 09:07 AM
Newspaper section: News

A third helicopter crashed near the Thai-Burmese border yesterday killing three people on board, forcing the army to ground its Bell 212 helicopter fleet.

The Bell 212 transport helicopter crashed in the morning while on its way to pick up the bodies of the nine victims in the Black Hawk helicopter crash on Tuesday.

The Black Hawk crashed in a Burmese forest opposite the Kaeng Krachan National Park during an operation to retrieve the bodies of five soldiers who had died in an earlier air crash involving a Huey helicopter.

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Writer: Piyarach Chongcharoen, Chaiwat Satyaem & Wassana Nanuam

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max4243
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Discussion 10 : 25/07/2011 at 01:12 PM10
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We all know that maintaining flying machines is the top priority for all users. Using genuine spare parts instead of modifying these or using pirated ones is extremely important. Training good pilots and retraining them with proper credential checking too are very urgent. Purchasing newer or new aircrafts or equipment should be considered instead of just buying very old aircrafts or equipment for the sake of having them.

Have the army been thinking of all these carefully before wanting to get every equipment? Think of it now, I can't imagine what will happen if the army went ahead to purchase the very old submarine from Germany. I think the army should consider putting their house in order first in the wake of these helicopter crashes before considering procuring other equipment or submarine. The army must make safety a top priority for its personnel before considering purchasing very old equipment.
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tomb
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Discussion 9 : 25/07/2011 at 12:37 PM9
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I hate to point it out, but this is one of the possible results of corruption. People supporting corruption in society - as the latest ABAC poll showed - had better think again.
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joe123x1
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Discussion 8 : 25/07/2011 at 12:12 PM8
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I think the military has extremely old and bad equipment, we have been flying this bell model already 40 years ago. Obviously they also have not enough training and take too many risks because under certain circumstances they should not fly, there is no way with "maibenrai" when flying a helicopter. They also have the wrong helicopter for such kind of missions. For that type of mission they need the french alluette type which has a fully transparent cabin it is even possible to look underneath. The helicopter they have now is rather a transport helicopter quite useless for this job, they also shouldnt blame all the time the weather its the people to blame. All in all they need to get some really qualified people and new equipment.
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fulton
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Discussion 7 : 25/07/2011 at 12:03 PM7
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That chopper is outdated. It was made and used during the Vietnam War.
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Hypocrisy
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Discussion 6 : 25/07/2011 at 11:35 AM6
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When you look at the safety record of helicopter operations in the North Sea and compare this to the Thai military! one can only assume that tragically something is seriously amiss. Very sad.
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karl
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Discussion 5 : 25/07/2011 at 10:29 AM5
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Bogus spares maybe?
Big problem in the world exists with them.
Tragic when so many die is such a short time.
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drsmith
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Discussion 4 : 25/07/2011 at 10:01 AM4
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"Helicopters did not have a black box or a cockpit voice recorder". These aircraft have never been updated with modern technology the past 19+ years. There is new technology to allow these heilcopters to fly safely in any weather yet it was never upgraded. Maintenance budgets for existing aircraft are extremely small. It is not easy to get "Tea Money" unless you are making a major military purchase of new equipment. Same story across ALL the military purchases. 700,000,000 thb for Airships never used. That money could have updated every helicopter in the Thai Army's fleet with the latest and greatest technology. Money over safety; this is the result.
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pointoffew
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Discussion 3 : 25/07/2011 at 09:37 AM3
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The army - or, much better: independent investigators - might as well check the entire fleet of unguided flying bits and pieces. And why not include civil government planes and copters.

Last year there were also accidents, including one in Nan with a French-made single-engine AS350, killing 5 or 6 people (there has never been a word about the pilot, only about the '5 high-ranking officials' who died...).
That copter had no radar for reading weather conditions, but flew in a region and at a time featured by heavy rain and strong wind...

Checking pilot licences, and how they were obtained, starting to implement maintenance regulations and using first class spare parts are other suggestions.
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bkk-farang
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Discussion 2 : 25/07/2011 at 09:24 AM2
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"the Bell 212 helicopter that crashed yesterday morning had been well maintained over the past 19 years"
Somehow I doubt this statement. In my experience maintenance is very low on the priority list from almost any Thai. Look as all the bad maintained motorcycles and cars on the streets. Many Thais don’t even think about repairing something if it is still moving. When I change i.e. the old but still working chain, breaks or tires on my bike I get often the question: "Why do you change that? It still works." But if you don’t maintain and replace some parts they will break down – and often enough in the wrong moment. The Thai answer to that: This must be bad karma, who could have foreseen that this bike/car/helicopter will break down...
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Victor
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Discussion 1 : 25/07/2011 at 09:24 AM1
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Why Bell only? What about the Huey and Black Hawk?
Come to think of it, why not the whole Army flying division, since all the helicopters from civilian agencies involved in the mission were doing ok.
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Three die in chopper crash | Bangkok Post: news