Plane Crash In Huoy Yai District, Pattaya..................

[libya 115]

SOURCE: Pattaya City News: May 19th 2007

Airplane Crash near Pattaya, Pilot survives but is badly injured.

Police Colonel Nopadon, the superintendent of Banglamung Police Station was one of many officers and rescue workers to respond to reports of a plane crash in a Potato Field in Huoy Yai sub-district.

Arriving at the scene, rescue workers attended to the badly injured Pilot of the Cessna 152 Training Airplane, Lieutenant Batiwat aged 31. The plane had taken off from the Pattaya Air Park but details on the crash are limited because no communications suggesting a problem with the plane were reported prior to the crash.

The plane was discovered by a farmer at 1.30pm on Saturday. The pilot was rushed to the Queen Sirigit Hospital in Sattahip suffering from serious injuries.

Police and Crash Investigators are now waiting for the Pilot to recover enough to allow him to speak with them, but for now the crash remains a mystery.

[jumnien]

Sorry to hear about the crash and I hope and pray for a speedy recovery for the pilot. I used to keep my plane at Pattaya Airpark a couple years ago until moving it to Cha-am. Pattaya Airpark is a lovely airfield with Thai owner Neil an avid aviator.

[libya 115]

More details in this news report: It seems the pilot was fortunate to escape with minor injuries to his neck and will live to fly another day.

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: May 20th 2007

FLYING OFFICER MAKES SAFE EMERGENCY LANDING IN PATTAYA SUSTAINING ONLY MINOR INJURIES

Young flying officer accumulates flying hours experience and has a safe emergency landing with little injury.

On the 19th May 2007, at 02:00 PM, Sawang Boriboon Rescue of Pattaya, Banglamung, Chonburi, received a report that a small airplane made an emergency landing and the pilot was injured.

The accident was on the ground in front of Tapioca Flour, Chor, Chaiwat Factory, Sark-gnaew Road-331, Moo 10, Huey-Yai, Banglamung, Chonburi. The rescuers rushed to investigate.

At the site of the incident, there was a white model HS-ARK, 4 seat, single propeller airplane. The airplane hit the ridge and rocks around the area and the propeller was damaged.

The pilot was Officer Patiwat Wongprasert, (31) from Navy Base, Flying Division. He sustained minor injuries. He was transferred to Somdetpranangjao Sirikit Hospital, Sattahip, Chonburi.

The doctor examined him and found some injury around his neck and put on a soft splint.

Officer Patiwat said that he rented a small airplane from "Airpark" Airfield, Baan Sak-gnaew, Huey-yai, Banglamung, at 09:00 AM in order to accrue flying experience. He was only about 500 meters from landing, when he had a problem and had to make an emergency landing. However he was able to control the airplane and managed to land on an open space with minimal speed. The airplane hit a ridge and stopped. The propeller was damaged and the pilot had minor injuries.

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Pattaya Daily News interviewed Mr.Nawaporn Sawaetwong ( details will be continued )

History about Pattaya Airpark

Hello and welcome! My name is Nawaporn Sawaetwong or "Neil." Flying has always been my passion, long before I was even airborne. However, I was not able to join the Air force when I was younger due to being nearsighted. In 1991, I managed to earn my first private pilot license (for fixed wings). Helicopter and seaplane licenses soon followed.

In 1992, I joined Khun Nitt and Khun Visanu, private pilots from CATC class 17 who had just bought 2 Ultralights HA-500 from Taiwan and set up a small grass strip in Bangchong, Petchaburi. Then we set up our flying group called "The Environmental Flying Group" for the purpose of flying our Ultralights to help watch the coast, mangrove forests, red tide phenomenon, etc.; and to support the government services in general. This gave us a good excuse to fly Ultralights, as the DCA did not have special regulations for registering and flying Ultralights at that time.

In 1993, when The Foundation for Preservation and Development of Thai Aircraft under His Majesty The King's patronage (FPDA) had been set up, we joined the organization and became the flying group under FPDA. In 1996, I was a part of the committee that drafted the Air law for Ultralights (Kor Bor Ror 43) which is still being used to this day. Most recently, I helped set up the Royal Aeronautics Sports Association of Thailand (RASAT) to be the sole representative of all existing aerial sports within the country. Then I applied for an Active membership of FAI to Thailand and in May 2006 The FAI Executive Board meeting unanimously decided to recommend admission of RASAT to Active membership and the decision has been ratified by the FAI General Conference in October 2006

Within the past 18 years I have had the opportunity to attend numerous air shows such as the five times I went to "The Oshkosh," the largest annual air show. Later, its name was changed to "The Air Venture"; and seven times, I went to "The Sun and Fun" fly-in event at Lakeland, Florida. Upon visiting Airplane factories, Air Museums and Airparks in the U.S.A., U.K., Germany and France during 1993 to 1998, I tested several kit planes and started to import various kit planes, planes, a kit helicopter and Para motors like Cessna-152, 172, 206, Rans S-12, S-6, S-10, Searey, Flightstar, Full lotus floats, Mini-500 Helicopter, La Muette Paramotor, Windy Paramotor.

Prior to all my aviation related activities, I actually exported silver jewelry from my factory in Nonthaburi. After 20 years of that, I decided to quit the business in order to live out my dream. First, I began by leasing this piece of land (with an option to buy) which had an old airstrip conveniently located in Huay Yai, Bang Lamung, 15 kilometers from the City of Pattaya. The land was then refurbished into an airfield from which I have been able to provide various sorts of air services using my Cessna-206. In 2006, I finally bought the 127 rai (approximately 50 acres).

Now, I continuously work at developing this airfield to become Thailand's first comprehensive airpark

a pilot village for anyone who shares a similar dream and for everyone who is ready to discover the possibilities of living with their private airfield in their backyard!

My Profile:

Born ・18 June 1956 in Bangkok, Thailand

Education ・MBA

Pilot Info. ・FAA & ICAO Licenses

PPL for Single engine Land & Sea

PPH for Helicopter Piston & Jet Turbine

UL Instructor Total Time 1,200+ hrs, Landings 4,200+

Memberships -

1. Thai Flying Club member since 1990

2. Founder member of FPDA in 1992

3. EAA member since 1994

4. Founding member of RASAT in 2006

5. RBSC Polo club member since 1984

Present Position -

1. Special Project Committee to The Foundation for Preservation and Development Thai Aircraft under The Royal Patronage of His Majesty The King (FPDA)

2. President of Flying Group for Environmental Watch (Eastern Chapter)

3. Founder and Developer of Pattaya Airpark:

- Fun Flying Thai Air Service Co., Ltd.

- Pattaya Airpark Co., Ltd.

4. Member Records Affair and Foreign Affair, Royal Aeronautics Sports Association of Thailand (RASAT)

5. Microlight Commission (CIMA) ・(RASAT- Active member of FAI, Thailand)