Six injured in THAI flight during air turbulence over Singapore

[webfact]

Six injured in THAI flight during air turbulence over Singapore



BANGKOK: -- One passenger and five crew members of a Thai Airways International’s flight from Jakarta to Bangkok on Monday were slightly injured when the plane hit air turbulence while flying over Singapore.

THAI managing director Jarumporn Chotikasathien disclosed that the TG flight 434, a Boeing 777-200, carried 72 passengers with 12 flight attendants and two pilots.

He said that, while flying over Singapore, the plane encountered air turbulence but the captain managed to control the plane by following the safety procedure and brought the plane to safety at Suvarnabhumi international airport at 3.40 pm.

After landing, THAI ground staff rushed the injured to the hospital for medical treatment while the rest of the passengers were accorded with convenience until they went to the passenger’s terminal.

Jarumporn offered his apology to the passengers for the unpredictable incident and said the company had taken care of the medical expenses of the injured passenger until he was discharged for home on Tuesday.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/159308


-- Thai PBS 2016-04-13

[webfact]

Turbulence Injures 6 on Thai Airways Flight
By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee
Staff Reporter


The scene when Thai Airways Flight TG434 landed at Suvarnabhumi airport Monday afternoon. Photo: Kru P'Birth / Facebook

BANGKOK — Air turbulence was blamed for six injuries on a Thai Airways flight from Jakarta to Bangkok Monday.

The Boeing 777-200 was carrying 86 people — two pilots, 12 flight attendants and 72 passengers. Flight TG434 was reportedly traveling through Singaporean airspace at around 12:35pm on Monday (local time) when the turbulence occurred, according to a Thai Airways press release.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1460460292&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2016-04-13

[Thechook]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them. I have been on flights during rough turbulence, cabin crew have strapped themselves in and some numbskull gets up and starts going threw the overhead locker. This not only endangers thier safety but other passengers and cabin crew who have to get up to get the idiot back into thier seat.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Thechook

[smutcakes]

Just 72 passengers on a 777. Lets hope that is just the Songkran effect or things are not looking good.

[trogers]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them. I have been on flights during rough turbulence, cabin crew have strapped themselves in and some numbskull gets up and starts going threw the overhead locker. This not only endangers thier safety but other passengers and cabin crew who have to get up to get the idiot back into thier seat.

Both the injured and the partner at the window seat did not strapped in from the blood stains on both seat belts...

[Prbkk]

Clear air turbulence, not necessarily much if any warning, maybe except from other aircraft in the vicinity. Although it seems the seatbelt sign was on if only one passenger injured but 5 crew. Scary but it doesn't put the aircraft at any serious risk.

[dopenhagen]

Why is Thai Airways having so many problems with turbulence, its not long ago that a similar number of people were injured on another TG flight, from China or Japan as I recall but in the meantime I haven't heard of other airlines having problems with injured people due to turbulence...

This is a lot of incidents involving injuries due to turbulence...
https://www.aeroinside.com/incidents/airline/thai

Edited April 13, 2016 by dopenhagen

[alfalfa19]

12 flight attendants for 72 passengers ? i am accustomed to seeing many fewer FAs for many more passengers. At any rate, I am damn glad I was not on that flight.

[dopenhagen]

it would have a 310 people capacity... so 72 is not a whole lot, considering its the starting day for songkran...

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Thai_Airways/Thai_Airways_Boeing_777-200_772.php

[ezzra]

The plane depicted in the picture in not a 777 who has 3 rows of seats, more likely a 737 variety....

but for the local repotting the incident it's close enough.....

Edited April 13, 2016 by ezzra

[smutcakes]

The plane depicted in the picture in not a 777 who has 3 rows of seats, more likely a 737 variety....

but for the local repotting the incident it's close enough.....

Can you tell that from the picture? Could the seats on the right hand side of the picture just be the middle bank of 3 or 4 seats?

[recycler]

Why is Thai Airways having so many problems with turbulence, its not long ago that a similar number of people were injured on another TG flight, from China or Japan as I recall but in the meantime I haven't heard of other airlines having problems with injured people due to turbulence...

This is a lot of incidents involving injuries due to turbulence...

https://www.aeroinside.com/incidents/airline/thai

Fair weather pilots trained in Thailand have very little experience with rough weather conditions.

[Inn Between]

it would have a 310 people capacity... so 72 is not a whole lot, considering its the starting day for songkran...

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Thai_Airways/Thai_Airways_Boeing_777-200_772.php

Yes turbulence can be nasty, but what caught my eye was 14 staff for 72 passengers on a 777. I wonder how much Thai Air loses on that one. Perhaps their fares are to blame for low passenger numbers if this is any indicator.

I've been invited to visit friends in Canada this summer, so I went to Kayak and searched for return fare prices. The range in $US was from 726 to 5459 for 1 economy seat -- BKK to Toronto return. The fare of $5449 was with Alitalia, but Thai air came up as the second highest at $4915. Now, I can understand that the Italian airline isn't too interested in flights routes including Thailand, but you'd think the Thai flagship airline -- the pride of Thai commercial aviation would make some sort of effort to price themselves competitively for flights to and from their own country. Instead, they are almost 7 TIMES HIGHER than the lowest available fare.

I guess one could argue that 72 passengers at an average of 6 to 7 times the price of the lowest fares is a good business model, and that might be true if the heavily tax-supported airline wasn't catering to the rich and elite but instead serving the average Thai citizen.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Inn Between

[Prbkk]

The plane depicted in the picture in not a 777 who has 3 rows of seats, more likely a 737 variety....

but for the local repotting the incident it's close enough.....

It's a wide body, twin aisle ie NOT a 737. Likely 777 as reported

[Bsd]

The plane depicted in the picture in not a 777 who has 3 rows of seats, more likely a 737 variety....

but for the local repotting the incident it's close enough.....

Its a 777, look at the overhead lockers not the seats. You will see that the left had side ones come down a lot lower (as the side of the plane wraps around) the right hand side ones are flat (and you can see the lockers for the other aisle.

Also a 737 would never carry 12 cabin crew, there aren't enough crew seats.

Still 72 passengers on a 777 don't Thai have a spare smaller plane that they could have used instead? They must have known weeks ago they would never full the plane.

[robbo1]

Why is Thai Airways having so many problems with turbulence, its not long ago that a similar number of people were injured on another TG flight, from China or Japan as I recall but in the meantime I haven't heard of other airlines having problems with injured people due to turbulence...

This is a lot of incidents involving injuries due to turbulence...

https://www.aeroinside.com/incidents/airline/thai

Maybe because this is a Thai forum, not a forum looking for airlines and the trouble they have had with turbulance.

[pkspeaker]

one note: that's probably not blood, it looks more like tomato juice or something else from the passengers meal tray.. don't think turbulence wold have caused that kind of blood loss unless they were thrown up in the air and impaled on something sharp..

[BSJ]

A turbulence warning device is being tested now at ground level using gusts of hot air from politician's as their turbulence source. Will be tested in aircraft once they have a plane load of politician's all travelling in the same direction!

[impulse]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them. I have been on flights during rough turbulence, cabin crew have strapped themselves in and some numbskull gets up and starts going threw the overhead locker. This not only endangers thier safety but other passengers and cabin crew who have to get up to get the idiot back into thier seat.

Or it could have been a typical Asian flight where they never turn off the seat belt sign, even during a 8-12 hour flight in perfect weather. Then you never know when it's safe to get up and pee. And when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

Edited April 13, 2016 by impulse

[Tidybeard]

Sometimes TV posters are not too bright.. in reply to several dumb comments.

The plane in the picture is quite clearly a twin isle plane so probably a 777

The "blood" on the seat looks more like a spilled glass of red wine or fruit juice onto an empty seat to me.

To have 72 passengers on a big plane just before a national holiday is not unusual as business passengers have stopped

The 12 crew have to fly whether the plane is empty or full. They are in a place on their schedule, they have to fly so they are in the right place for their next flight or to take their vacation or compulsory rest time in the right place. There are also strict international safety rules about the crews on each size of plane... must have enough crew to operate doors etc in an emergency.

Having lived in Asia for 20 years, I can assure you that Thai has no more than average problems with turbulence... I have flown over 1,500 times in Asia and every company has bad flights ... we choose to live in a hot part of the World with many different land masses and seas ... that make turbulence !

[menzies233]

Anyone who has flown in the last 5 years wil clearly know that on most flights the "Fasten Seatbelt" signs are never turned off!

[chainarong]

Let me remind everyone here at TV that Qantas has had similar experiences and the photos' show the same cabin damage as on the Thai flight , I rest my case........................................ .

[IamNoone88]

"Passengers are reminded to keep their seat belt loosely fastened at all times"

It was probably the same kind of idiot that still keeps his handphone on while taking off ....... despite several reminders to turn it off. And rides a motorbike without a helmet.

There is always one (or more) ......

[HooHaa]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them. I have been on flights during rough turbulence, cabin crew have strapped themselves in and some numbskull gets up and starts going threw the overhead locker. This not only endangers thier safety but other passengers and cabin crew who have to get up to get the idiot back into thier seat.

Both the injured and the partner at the window seat did not strapped in from the blood stains on both seat belts...

you can tell that?

impressed, you must have a truly prehensile mind.

Any experienced flyer should understand turbulence can mess you up.

I wear my seatbelt at all times and have seen people who ignore the warning bounced off the overhead bins a few times.

it could have all been easily avoided. stupid really.

[camsouth]

The plane depicted in the picture in not a 777 who has 3 rows of seats, more likely a 737 variety....

but for the local repotting the incident it's close enough.....

Its a 777, look at the overhead lockers not the seats. You will see that the left had side ones come down a lot lower (as the side of the plane wraps around) the right hand side ones are flat (and you can see the lockers for the other aisle.

Also a 737 would never carry 12 cabin crew, there aren't enough crew seats.

Still 72 passengers on a 777 don't Thai have a spare smaller plane that they could have used instead? They must have known weeks ago they would never full the plane.

i lot of times its a ferry flight to get the 777 back to bkk for other trips , the flight may have begun from another country , besides Jakarta , may have come from japan or china before that .

[Bangkok Barry]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them.

And if you bothered to read the article you wouldn't have to guess. I am constantly amazed at how many people on TV comment on something they haven't even bothered to read.

[Bangkok Barry]

What does 'the rest of the passengers were accorded with convenience' mean, I wonder?

[Krataiboy]

Let me guess, the fasten seat belt signs came on and this person was probably one of those who thought it didn't apply to them. I have been on flights during rough turbulence, cabin crew have strapped themselves in and some numbskull gets up and starts going threw the overhead locker. This not only endangers thier safety but other passengers and cabin crew who have to get up to get the idiot back into thier seat.

Both the injured and the partner at the window seat did not strapped in from the blood stains on both seat belts...

It's Coke.

[Dogbreath]

it would have a 310 people capacity... so 72 is not a whole lot, considering its the starting day for songkran...

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Thai_Airways/Thai_Airways_Boeing_777-200_772.php

Yes turbulence can be nasty, but what caught my eye was 14 staff for 72 passengers on a 777. I wonder how much Thai Air loses on that one. Perhaps their fares are to blame for low passenger numbers if this is any indicator.

I've been invited to visit friends in Canada this summer, so I went to Kayak and searched for return fare prices. The range in $US was from 726 to 5459 for 1 economy seat -- BKK to Toronto return. The fare of $5449 was with Alitalia, but Thai air came up as the second highest at $4915. Now, I can understand that the Italian airline isn't too interested in flights routes including Thailand, but you'd think the Thai flagship airline -- the pride of Thai commercial aviation would make some sort of effort to price themselves competitively for flights to and from their own country. Instead, they are almost 7 TIMES HIGHER than the lowest available fare.

I guess one could argue that 72 passengers at an average of 6 to 7 times the price of the lowest fares is a good business model, and that might be true if the heavily tax-supported airline wasn't catering to the rich and elite but instead serving the average Thai citizen.

I was told that the reason Thai Airways is so expensive is that there are large numbers of Thai officials, hi-sos and other assorted hangers on who fly for free along with their friends. The hoi polloi and farangs are expected to pick up the slack. The company loses truckloads of money every year.

[MiKT]

Sometimes TV posters are not too bright.. in reply to several dumb comments.

The plane in the picture is quite clearly a twin isle plane so probably a 777

The "blood" on the seat looks more like a spilled glass of red wine or fruit juice onto an empty seat to me.

To have 72 passengers on a big plane just before a national holiday is not unusual as business passengers have stopped

The 12 crew have to fly whether the plane is empty or full. They are in a place on their schedule, they have to fly so they are in the right place for their next flight or to take their vacation or compulsory rest time in the right place. There are also strict international safety rules about the crews on each size of plane... must have enough crew to operate doors etc in an emergency.

Having lived in Asia for 20 years, I can assure you that Thai has no more than average problems with turbulence... I have flown over 1,500 times in Asia and every company has bad flights ... we choose to live in a hot part of the World with many different land masses and seas ... that make turbulence !

Yup,

If you like fun you should have tried flying into Kai Tak on the tail of a Typhoon.

One of my best memories is catching an astonished Cathay Pacific stewardess by the arm as she and her trolley headed for the ceiling.

All airlines have turbulence trouble and I would say that Thai are one of the best at instructing their aircrew to spend a few Baht more trying to avoid weather systems.