Anybody See The Low Jet Over Central Bangkok Tues. Night?

[nickbkk]

A Korean Air jet came past very low over Rajaprarop Road / Victory Monument area about 11.30pm on Tuesday night. Did anybody else witness this?

[londonthai]

happens that pilot forgets what airport fly to - did not land at don muang and continued to suvarnabhumi.

or maybe it was a cargo plane which dropped off his load at DM and was moving to the new airport.

if there was anything serious it would be on the news

[samran]

my wife heard a low flying airplane, but we live near Sukhumvit.

[nickbkk]

my wife heard a low flying airplane, but we live near Sukhumvit.

It would have crossed Sukhumvit. It's only a couple of km from where we saw it. Where are you in Sukhumvit? I used to have the Hueys coming in and out of the Cavalry base at the end of my Rajavithi soi overfly the house. They weren't that much lower than this plane was but you would have fun putting a Boeing 777 down in there. You'd need a heck of a headwind.....

[lomatopo]

A Korean Air jet came past very low over Rajaprarop Road / Victory Monument area about 11.30pm on Tuesday night. Did anybody else witness this?

Did the aircraft appear to be on approach (landing gear visible) or on departure (landing gear not visible)?

Back when DMK was BKK and at various times during November and December, arrival/departure directions changed from north to south (runways 21L/21R) to south to north (runways 3L/3R). Hence it was not unusual to see a steady stream of heavies in bound for 3L over-flying the City, typically establishing runway heading over the expressway between Rama IV and Sukhumvit Road.

Having said all that, and assuming it was a regularly scheduled in-bound flight from say ICN, I can't imagine why a KE 777 was (presumably) landing at DMK. My best guess is that the flight was diverted there for some specific reason. Other alternatives is that it was being delivered for servicing or was a special charter flight.

In the past, when BKK was either over-loaded or subject to unusually bad weather aircraft were diverted to UTP (U-Tapao), where there are Immigration and Customs facilities. Although, AFAIK, all planes proceeded onwards to Suvarnbhumi or Don Muang after a brief wait on the ground at UTP.

edited to add: While it is possible to mistakenly enter VTBD rather than VTBS in the flight navigation system, any error would be discovered long before a 5 mile final approach during discussions with ATC.

Edited October 27, 2007 by lomatopo

[nickbkk]

Landing gear was identifiably not visible but at this point, it is still a 20km line to DMK.

The jet would have passed very close to Baiyoke II (as in hundreds of metres, not thousands) 1km before it passed over me. Baoyoke II is over 1000ft high. On that basis, what should the minimum altitude have been?

I have spoken to a Western news cameraman who was one of several witnesses on the 15th floor of a building about 3km to the south. They also saw the jet. Their first thoughts were of a terrorist attack. He also thought that it could easily have been lower than the top of Baiyoke II, though from his vantage point, it would be difficult to be certain.

Did the aircraft appear to be on approach (landing gear visible) or on departure (landing gear not visible)?

Back when DMK was BKK and at various times during November and December, arrival/departure directions changed from north to south (runways 21L/21R) to south to north (runways 3L/3R). Hence it was not unusual to see a steady stream of heavies in bound for 3L over-flying the City, typically establishing runway heading over the expressway between Rama IV and Sukhumvit Road.

Having said all that, and assuming it was a regularly scheduled in-bound flight from say ICN, I can't imagine why a KE 777 was (presumably) landing at DMK. My best guess is that the flight was diverted there for some specific reason. Other alternatives is that it was being delivered for servicing or was a special charter flight.

In the past, when BKK was either over-loaded or subject to unusually bad weather aircraft were diverted to UTP (U-Tapao), where there are Immigration and Customs facilities. Although, AFAIK, all planes proceeded onwards to Suvarnbhumi or Don Muang after a brief wait on the ground at UTP.

edited to add: While it is possible to mistakenly enter VTBD rather than VTBS in the flight navigation system, any error would be discovered long before a 5 mile final approach during discussions with ATC.

[lomatopo]

An aircraft in-bound for DMK landing on either runway 3L or 3R would pass ~ 2 Km west of the Baiyoke Tower, roughly over Sri Ayutthaya and Rama VI. For obvious reasons this pattern is less than ideal given the proximity of Chitralada Palace. Aircraft would be well above the Baiyoke Tower. One time flying KKC-DMK (then called BKK) we were scheduled to land from north to south (21 runways) but that was changed during the flight. We flew south and turned right directly over Suvarnabhumi (this was about 6 months before it opened), we then headed west, northwest and turned to 30 degrees (runway 3) overflying the Elephant building near Lad Prao.

[nickbkk]

An aircraft in-bound for DMK landing on either runway 3L or 3R would pass ~ 2 Km west of the Baiyoke Tower, roughly over Sri Ayutthaya and Rama VI. For obvious reasons this pattern is less than ideal given the proximity of Chitralada Palace. Aircraft would be well above the Baiyoke Tower. One time flying KKC-DMK (then called BKK) we were scheduled to land from north to south (21 runways) but that was changed during the flight. We flew south and turned right directly over Suvarnabhumi (this was about 6 months before it opened), we then headed west, northwest and turned to 30 degrees (runway 3) overflying the Elephant building near Lad Prao.

lomatopo, thanks for your contribution. Would you mind joining the discussion over here?

[lomatopo]

Sorry, could you just update us on:

Direction (south-to-north or north-to-south)?

Landing gear, down or up?

Landing or taking off, in your estimation (engine noise/speed would be noticeable)?

Thanks.

[nickbkk]

Sorry, could you just update us on:

Direction (south-to-north or north-to-south)?

Landing gear, down or up?

Landing or taking off, in your estimation (engine noise/speed would be noticeable)?

Thanks.

Sure:

Direction: south-to-north

Landing gear: up

Landing. Power was definitely back. A pilot who lives maybe 200m away heard the plane confirmed this.

[lomatopo]

OK, it sounds as though this aircraft was on a 12 mile final approach (when you observed it) to 3L or 3R (they may only be using one of these runways) at DMK. Landing gear would be deployed over the next few miles. Nothing unusual as far as I can tell, other than the fact you have what looks like an international arrival at a domestic airport. You could contact KE for further detail.

[nickbkk]

OK, it sounds as though this aircraft was on a 12 mile final approach (when you observed it) to 3L or 3R (they may only be using one of these runways) at DMK. Landing gear would be deployed over the next few miles. Nothing unusual as far as I can tell, other than the fact you have what looks like an international arrival at a domestic airport. You could contact KE for further detail.

Ok thanks!

Let's for the moment assume we have no idea what flight it was and there is nothing unusual about the apparent destination. At what altitude should it be at this point (ie., over the center of Bangkok)?

I have seen a couple of small jets approaching on roughly the same track, but about 1km to the West. They were both coming in under low cloud. They don't appear to be leaving an awful lot of room for problems. My understanding was that they are supposed to be at sufficient altitude to allow for gliding into available open space. Is my understanding correct? Apart from motorways, there is nothing in that part of Bangkok useful apart from DMK and I struggle to believe any jet could glide 20km from the altitudes these guys are at.

[lomatopo]

My understanding was that they are supposed to be at sufficient altitude to allow for gliding into available open space. Is my understanding correct?

No, it is not. Again, as far as I can determine you observed an aircraft on a 12 mile final approach to runways 3L or 3R at DMK. Approximate altitude: 2,000 - 3,000 feet, approx. speed: 180 knots. Probably just getting handed off from DMK Approach ATC to DMK Tower ATC and final clearance to land.

DMK is also an RTAF facility so you will see lots of military aircraft arriving and departing.