Army Helicopter Goes Missing

[Jai Dee]

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR ARMY HELICOPTER THAT WENT MISSING

A lost Army helicopter is still not found as rescuers from Phrae Province rummages through the forest. The helicopter is presumed to have encountered an accident.

The Army helicopter lost contact with the control tower at around 4 pm yesterday. Passengers on board include Maj. Gen. Phairat Thongjattu (ไพรัตน์ ทองจัตตุ), commander of the Pha Muang(กองกำลังผาเมือง) Force of the 3rd Army Area, Maj. Wisit Worawitwatthana (วิศิษย์ วรวิทย์วัฒนะ), and the 2 pilots of the helicopter. The incident occured while the Pha Muang Force commander was en route back to the Pha Muang Force headquarters in Chiang Mai province, after receiving a policy briefing from the 3rd Army Area Commanding General in Phitsanulok Province.

The helicopter lost contact with the control tower while flying over the Wiengkosai(เวียงโกสัย) National Park in Phrae Province. Locals in the area reported that they witnessed a helicopter flying out of their sight and then hearing a loud noise, prompting them to inform police of an accident.

Mr. Samart Loifa (สามารถ ลอยฟ้า), the permanent secretary of Phrae Province, yesterday coordinated searches with police, national park officials, and soldiers, and also arranged for the local eyewitnesses to be taken to the site where they last saw the helicopter. However the search was unsuccessful due to the mountainous terrain and that it was dark. Searches continued this morning, but nothing has been found yet.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันศุกร์ที่ 14 ตุลาคม 2548

[stateman]

found!

[cdnvic]

found!

details?

cv

[Jai Dee]

If it has been found then the Thai News Services don't know about it.

/Edit - double post.

[Jai Dee]

BODIES OF THE 4 SOLDIERS KILLED IN A HELICOPTER CRASH WILL BE ENTERED INTO RELIGIOUS CEREMONY IN PHITSANULOK PROVINCE

The search parties for the helicopter wreckage has brought the bodies of the 4 deceased soldiers out of the crash site, after using more than a thousand search personnel. Meanwhile, the bodies will be entered into the religious body-watering ceremony in Phitsanulok Province.

At 5.30 pm today, the search units retrieved the bodies of Maj. Gen. Phairat Thongjatu (ไพรัตน์ ทองจตุ), Phamuang (ผาเมือง) Camp's Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry unit, Maj. Wisit Worawitwatthana (วิสิทธิ์ วรวิทย์วัฒนา), and Captain Thongloh Narkphu (ทองหล่อ นาคภู่) and Captain Komin Chao_uthai (โกมินทร์ ชาวอุทัย). Four ambulances were dispatched to a helipad to wait for the airlift of the bodies to arrive. However, the helicopter sent to retrieve the body could not land at the site, prompting officials to carry the bodies of the four soldiers on foot. The trip away from the crash site took a few hours due to the hindrance by the mountainous terrain.

The bodies are to be entered into a religious ceremony together in Phitsanulok Province, before they are handed over to relatives for further funeral ceremonies in their localities.

More than a thousand people from 18 agencies as well as civilians participated in the search for the helicopter, which had gone missing since yesterday. The Wiengkosai (เวียงโกศัย) National Park Headquarter was used as the command center.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันเสาร์ที่ 15 ตุลาคม 2548