Traveller confidence harmed after crash ?

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Phuket tragedy prompts review of airport, aircraft, pilot safety

Published on September 22, 2007


All civil aviation-related organisations have been summoned to a meeting on September 27, as the Transport Ministry seeks measures to restore traveller confidence after last Sunday's Phuket aircraft crash.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said yesterday that representatives from all units involved with the civil-aviation industry - the Civil Aviation Department, Airports of Thailand, Thai Airways Interna-tional, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, Civil Aviation Training Centre and Thai Pilots' Associa-tion - would have to attend.

They will discuss safety standards in the industry to see what needs to be improved. This could involve airports, pilots or aircraft.

"We need to restore travellers' confidence as soon as possible," Sansern said, noting that the crash on Sunday which killed 89 passengers had had a psychological impact on travellers.

He insisted that Thailand's safety standards met international standards and said pilots and aircraft which could not meet international standards would not be allowed to operate.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Department last night sent two black box flight recorders from the One-Two-Go plane crash to the US for analysis, and expects the results within a week.

Department chief Chaisak Angkasuwan said officials took the flight data recorders to Washington and the Thai investigation committee should soon able to announce the cause of last Sunday's crash that killed 89 people, including 53 foreigners and 36 Thais.

There were 41 survivors, 25 of whom were still in hospital yesterday.

Chaisak said that once the data were available they would be forwarded to an investigative committee chaired by transport permanent secretary Chaisawat Kittipornpaiboon, then the committee would give a summary of the accident without revealing the details of the conversation between the pilot and the air-traffic controller.

"In any case the result has no influence on the compensation that insurers need to pay for passengers killed or injured in the accident," Chaisak said.

He promised to fully disclose the cause of the accident, the Thai News Agency reported. He added that the findings of the investigation would not affect the compensation payments to the crash victims, estimated at US$150,000 (Bt4.7 million) for families of the deceased.

On the suggestion by Saprang Kalayanamitr, chairman of Airports of Thailand, that closed-circuit television should be installed at airports, Chaisak said he personally thought it unnecessary.

"This is the first accident in 40 years at Phuket International Airport, but if the installation can offer comfort, it could be done," he said.

On this issue, Sansern said that if CCTV were necessary he would be ready to support its installation at all airports.

One-Two-Go's flight OG 269 from Bangkok to Phuket skidded off the runway upon landing in a heavy rainstorm and crashed into a nearby embankment, breaking in two and bursting into flames.

Survivors said the plane had a rough landing and seemed to come down too quickly. Both pilots died in the crash.

The crash has raised questions about the safety standards of no-frills airlines that have sprung up globally as well as in Asia

Criminal investigation chief Pol Maj-General Santhan Chaiyanont said all passengers still in Thailand had been questioned. The next interviews will be with technical staff involved in both the air traffic control operations and flight operations.

Police do not yet have enough information to indicate the cause of the crash.

The Nation

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didnt the TAT recently declare that the crash had not harmed confidence in flying and that figures were normal ?

is it possible they have all gone back to using the bus ?

Saftey standards. wow didn't think they had any. Last October flew Nok Air, was a little worried at that time was in the Nok Plus section but the higher we flre the more I could smell jet fuel, was in the Air Force so I know what it smells like. Upon making it to BKK landing a bit rough, no rain, and the pilot nearly missed his turn off ramp. WOW not too sure I want to travel on Nok Air again. Will be back in October this year