Nok Air's plane skids off runway in Trang Province

BANGKOK, 7 Aug 2013, (NNT) - Nok Air's Boeing 737 plane bound for Bangkok's Don Mueang airport skidded off runway in Trang Province on Tuesday.

Trang Airport Director, Tavorn Sang-Ampai, revealed that the accident was caused by wet runway as rains repeatedly hammered down the area. He added all the 142 passengers were not harmed by the event, including Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Police General Chatchawan Suksomjit.

According to the initial investigation, the visibility at the airport was poor due to rains at 5.25 PM when the flight was supposed to take off.

Mr. Tavorn said the pilots have already initiated taking off sequence but decided to call it off at the last minute, as they deemed the weather was too dangerous to take off. In order to gain more space for abandoning sequence, the pilots turned the plane to the eastern runway located near Trang-Palean road. The plane then skidded off the runway during its turning, Mr. Tavorn explained.

Meanwhile, Nok Air's CEO Patee Sarasin reaffirmed the safety of all 142 passengers in that flight, adding the airline has immediately sent buses to transport them to the nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat and Hat Yai airports. All of them have reached their intended destination, Bangkok, safe and sound.

-- NNT 2013-08-07

Nok air does not have a 747 .... they are flying 737's ...... sigh

<note - I have fixed the error in the OP - SVB>

Why did the pilots determine weather before takeoff run?

Is risking ground looping by changing runway standard operating procedure for abandoned takeoff?

It is the pilot in commands decision at the end of the day, go/no go.

When I read the headline I thought it was a landing or take off accident.

It seems as though it was already rolling when the pilot abandoned the take off so he must have been going at a fair speed and tried to turn onto another runway to avoid running off the one he was on and underestimated his speed and the runway conditions.

Why did the pilots determine weather before takeoff run?

They get a full weather briefing as part of the preflight procedures. Just prior to roll out the tower will give them final wind conditions. It's possible during the roll out that a major shift in wind conditions occurred exceeding their maximum cross wind component which requires an abort or if a microburst detected. Unlikely equipment to detect microburst is available there but it is standard procedure that other pilots who have just departed to call in such conditions if they experience them.

Trang Airport remains closed
The Nation

TRANG: -- Trang Airport remains closed today, pending for the clearing of the runway following the accident with a Nok Air flight.

The airport is now waiting for tools and equipment from Thai Airways International. This will be flown from Bangkok and will arrive Trang later at midnight to help remove the sand-stuck plane, said Thaworn Saeng-ampai, director of the Trang Airport.

Nok Air on Tuesday night brought in a crane from Hat Yai, but it could not remove the Boeing 737-800 plane as it was deeply stuck in sand, he said on Wednesday.


-- The Nation 2013-08-07

Tomorrows headline..... "Driver flees scene after snapping aircraft in two with crane."

Trang International Airport closed until Thursday morning
By Digital Media



TRANG, Aug 7 - Trang International Airport is closed until tomorrow morning following the incident of an aircraft from Thailand's low-cost carrier Nok Air skidding off the runway yesterday evening.

Airport director Tavorn Saeng-ampai said the removal of the aircraft is still awaiting a crane from Bangkok which is expected to arrive the airport later tonight.

The aircraft of flight DD7411 slid off the runway while preparing to take off for Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport. The airport was impacted by poor visibility due to torrential rain. The aircraft wheels were buried into the ground.

Mr Tavorn said the accident prevented four Nok Air flights and low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia from operating.

However, the airport director affirmed that about 300 passengers of the two airlines scheduled for Bangkok-bound flights today will be able to travel back to the capital.

He said the airlines arranged air-conditioned buses for the passengers to board other flights at other airports. Passengers booking Nok Air flights are diverted to fly from Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport and those of Thai AirAsia flights board at Krabi International Airport.

Thai AirAsia has already moved their operations to Krabi International Airport temporarily. Passengers can check in at both Trang and Krabi International Airports for their flights. Those who wish to postpone or cancel their journeys can contact Trang International Airport. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-08-07

ACCIDENT
Trang Airport closed after Nok Air flight slides off runway
The Nation


Methee Muangkaew

TRANG: -- Low-cost airline flights from Trang Airport were cancelled on Wednesday and many passengers had their tickets refunded, after a Bangkok-bound Nok Air flight slid off the runway at Trang airport while preparing for takeoff in heavy rain late on Tuesday afternoon.

All 142 passengers on Flight DD 7411, many of them foreign tourists, and crew were uninjured.

Trang Airport was closed as officials prepared buses to move some 100 passengers on another Nok Air DD 7401 Flight (Trang to Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport), to board a flight at Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport.

Another 100 passengers on the Air Asia Flight FD3242 (Trang to Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport) were taken to Krabi Airport. Many passengers, including singer Weerayut "Baowee Rsiam" Nancha, refunded their tickets or changed travel dates.

The runway-clearing mission was on hold pending the arrival of THAIS experts and equipment from Bangkok at Trang at midnight to help move the crashed plane which is stuck in sand, said Thaworn Saengampai, director of the Trang Airport.


-- The Nation 2013-08-07

Second time nok air has had this happen

Had it really been a Boeing 747 then could not have operated out Trang with a payload of passengers. It looks to have been a much smaller 737 although with a full load of passengers.

I imagine that due to the amount of water on the runway, the aircraft experienced too much drag to achieve a vertical rotate speed within the desired margin.

Another example of "exciting Thailand"

Lead article edited to fix the aircraft type to 737. This should put that part of the discussion to rest.

Must have been quite a deterioration of the conditions in a very short time during the take off roll for the pilots to abort the flight.

I would have thought an emergency evacuation would have been csrried out. I see no slides deployed. Maybe i could be wrong. As they are very expensive Did they decide not to use them?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I would have thought an emergency evacuation would have been csrried out. I see no slides deployed. Maybe i could be wrong. As they are very expensive Did they decide not to use them? Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In that situation there would have been no need as the aircraft had suffered no damage, engine problems, failure etc.

Flight crew would have informed the cabin crew of the situation and advised them there was no danger and to stay put.

I would have thought an emergency evacuation would have been csrried out. I see no slides deployed. Maybe i could be wrong. As they are very expensive Did they decide not to use them? Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

From the photos, it just rolled off the runway at low speed and into the grass/sandy area and got stuck so not really an emergency situation. No wheel collapse, chance of fire etc. You can see the back right landing gear covered in mud.

//edit - what SVB said.

Tywais you and I would make an excellent combination on the flight deck of any aircraft I feel

that's what happens when you try to drift a plane

"skid off" seems a difficult maneuver to achieve on a flat runway/taxiway (but if it can be done a Thai pilot will find a way)

Happens anywhere in the world. It's just fodder for the Thai knockers.

These guys need some new pilots... i have flown nok air a few times and each landing is always a bit rough, dunno if its the planes, but we landed way too fast once at chaing mai and it wasn't pretty :/

Nok air does not have a 747 .... they are flying 737's ...... sigh

read again waerth head line 737 put your reading glasses on mate

"skid off" seems a difficult maneuver to achieve on a flat runway/taxiway (but if it can be done a Thai pilot will find a way)

He was trying to turn unto another runway at speed to increase his abort distance.

Statistically a Rejected Take Off is one of the most dangerous procedures there is, well for a screw up.

It is normal to "give it a go", by the time you give the nod, leave the gate, taxi etc, what matters is the visibility and conditions when you are lined up on the runway, that is when the decision re weather is made. Unless you are at a major airport with a huge runway, it is surprising early in the roll when the decision to continue known as V1, even in the case of an engine karking it, yep, a 737 is grossly over powered, you continue the take of roll, get faster and fly away, then land at the most sutible.

I don't know what happened of course, non of us does.

Concernly in typical Thai style, the local authority on the ground does togh and declared it before any investigation that will take many months and include Boeing.

This <snip> quote "Trang Airport Director, Tavorn Sang-Ampai, revealed that the accident was caused by wet runway as rains repeatedly hammered down the area"

But at least he sucked up to the Cop on board, Deputy Commander General Chatchawan Suksomjit.

Nok air does not have a 747 .... they are flying 737's ...... sigh

read again waerth head line 737 put your reading glasses on mate

The info has been corrected from 747 to 737 if you read a previous moderator's post. The member posted before the edit of title. So back on topic.

right so nok air arranged air conditioned buses for the passengers 3 hour +transport to bkk but bet they refuse to give a refund to the stranded passengers

It is the pilot in commands decision at the end of the day, go/no go.

When I read the headline I thought it was a landing or take off accident.

It seems as though it was already rolling when the pilot abandoned the take off so he must have been going at a fair speed and tried to turn onto another runway to avoid running off the one he was on and underestimated his speed and the runway conditions.

thats the way i read it also those big things are not really made for their easy handling in the curves i guess

These guys need some new pilots... i have flown nok air a few times and each landing is always a bit rough, dunno if its the planes, but we landed way too fast once at chaing mai and it wasn't pretty :/

"skid off" seems a difficult maneuver to achieve on a flat runway/taxiway (but if it can be done a Thai pilot will find a way) width=32 alt=coffee1.gif>

He was trying to turn unto another runway at speed to increase his abort distance.

What other runway? There isn't another runway

Tywais you and I would make an excellent combination on the flight deck of any aircraft I feel alt=laugh.png width=20 height=20>

ehhhemm !

What other runway? There isn't another runway

Only based my comment on the OP - "In order to gain more space for abandoning sequence, the pilots turned the plane to the eastern runway located near Trang-Palean road"

right so nok air arranged air conditioned buses for the passengers 3 hour +transport to bkk but bet they refuse to give a refund to the stranded passengers

One of the articles above states that some passengers decided not to travel and obtained refunds.

And the rest weren't put on buses for a 3 hour+ transport to Bangkok - they were sent to nearby airports and arrangements were made for them to take onward flights from there.

You can't get to Bangkok from Trang in 3 hours.

You better Nok, Nok, Nok on wood, before you fly.