All airline's twin-props grounded

BANGKOK: -- Phuket Air has been banned from using its five ageing, twin turbo-prop YS11 aircraft until it can ensure passengers' safety. Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal issued the ban yesterday after one of the planes skidded off the runway on landing at Mae Sot airport in Tak on Sunday.

The Aviation Department had also been ordered to step up inspections on all airlines and to consider setting up a computerised data bank linking all information about aircraft to the Transport Ministry, he said.

Phuket Air's fleet also includes Boeing 737 and 747 aircraft, used on international routes. But the airline has been banned from European air space, also for safety reasons.

After Sunday's accident, the Tak chamber of commerce demanded a better service from the airline, which flies from Mae Sot border town to Bangkok five times a week.

Chamber president Suchart Treeratwattana said Phuket Air had cancelled several flights in the past, inconveniencing local travellers.

But as it was the only airline linking the town with the capital, people had no choice but to use it.

--Bangkok Post 2005-09-14

odds on they will try and use the 747 for the mae sot route.

odds on they will try and use the 747 for the mae sot route.

Or perhaps they'll try to start running a bus service between Don Muang and Mae Sot.

odds on they will try and use the 747 for the mae sot route.

Or perhaps they'll try to start running a bus service between Don Muang and Mae Sot.

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Bus would probably crash into the bus station ......

totster

Watch them try to explain that by flying on only one working engine, it's not technicly a twin prop.

cv

But as it was the only airline linking the town with the capital, people had no choice but to use it.

Perhaps, Thai Air Asia should soon start service on this sector - only to help the Tak residents ofcourse.

odds on they will try and use the 747 for the mae sot route.

Or perhaps they'll try to start running a bus service between Don Muang and Mae Sot.

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Bus would probably crash into the bus station ......

totster

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kracker !!!

Watch them try to explain that by flying on only one working engine, it's not technicly a twin prop. 

cv

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safety first

What's happening to the Burirahm service, And Surin is still without service.

I've never flown with Phuket Air, but have followed their escapades on TV. It sounds like those places that are still without their service are probably luckier than the ones who have their service!

Phuket Air YS-11 still grounded after overrun

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation has found that a Phuket Air NAMC YS-11 involved in an incident in Mae Sot on 11 September touched down long on the runway before it ran off the end and into muddy ground, resulting in extensive damage.

None of the 28 occupants – 24 passengers, two cabin crew and two pilots – were injured.

According to Avsoft’s ACAS database this particular aircraft, registered HS-KVO, was built in 1969 and is one of five YS-11s the airline owns. The DCA ordered the airline to ground its other YS-11s after the incident and they have yet to be cleared for a return to operation.

DCA director of flight standards Vutichai Singhamany says : “The accident was caused by wet landing…and during the approach the pilot overshot the runway a little bit. They overshot it and they didn’t have enough runway left.

“It stopped in mud off the end of the runway,” adds Vutichai. “There is quite a bit [of damage] to the nose gear, main landing gear [plus] the propeller hit the ground and there is also some damage to the wing flap”.

The incident at Mae Sot occurred at around 09:00 on 11 September as the aircraft was operating a scheduled service from Bangkok. Vutichai says that “we don’t know yet” when the airline’s YS-11s will be permitted to operate again because each is being inspected and there may be work that needs to be done on the aircraft.

The two pilots on board have also been prevented from operating aircraft until further investigations are carried out and they are now both required to undergo physical examinations.

In the meantime Phuket Air’s entire domestic operation is suspended and currently its only scheduled services cover twice-weekly flights from Bangkok to Yangon in Myanmar using Boeing 737-200s, of which it has two.

Phuket Air was operating domestically from Bangkok to Burirum and Ranong as well as Mae Sot using the YS-11s.

-- flightinternational.com 2005-09-15