Door falls off plane in flight from Mae Sot to Don Muang missing Burmese grasscutter

[ratcatcher]

It is a Beechcraft Kingair. Hardly a small private aircraft.

Yes, you are correct, hardly a small private aircraft but a large private aircraft.

This, by those standards, is thus an enormous private aircraft.

[Classic Ray]

Whilst I believe Duct Tape is the technical description, Duck Tape is one of the most famous brands, so like Hoovers and Philips screwdrivers has become a generic term.

[nakhonandy]

Why do you say that?

It was a small private aircraft and it is the pilots responsibility to do a walk around and to make sure that the aircraft is safe for flight.

Valid point, but how does he make sure the door is closed properly from his walk around outside, then get in the plane to fly it?

He has a "door warning " light on his Annunciation panel that tells him all doors are safe..I guess that the light was out on this "First" rate aircraft with "Second" rated pilots and maintenance personnel.

Also private aircraft have to follow maintenance procedures. They have different safety rules than your average truck etc.

[JacChang]

obviously the plane had the usual thai maintenance work to ensure it safety aspects were up to scratch , getting worse and worse here for any sort of maintenance work to be carried out no mater what it is, buildings, bridges, busses etc and now aircrafts. Have to wonder how many people have to die or how often this sort of thing has to happen before they actually start taking safety maintenance seriously, suppose they just cant stand to lose all that profit by doing it though.

Why do you say that?

It was a small private aircraft and it is the pilots responsibility to do a walk around and to make sure that the aircraft is safe for flight.

Are you serious? Pilots do not have enough technical knowledge to assume that responsibility. Even a small private aircraft is maintained by aviation maintenance engineers.

[chainarong]

part number: certain lottery winners there.

Maybe door open LED light not working

[Michael8511]

Here we go again, just because it happens in Thailand we have to blame the Thai authorities and people. It's up to the private owner to make sure that his aircraft is maintained properly. There are accidents around the world including UK and US that are caused of I proper maintenance. It have even been accidents on large commercial aircrafts in the US and Europe that was caused by maintenance problems were the work was not checked and signed for.

[Happy Grumpy]

The door fell just meters from where a Burmese laborer was cutting grass at a temple.

The Thais will be glad that it didn't hit him. They might have had to pay for a panel beater if it did.

[impulse]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

Duct tape, not Duck Tape. Used for taping DUCTS not DUCKS!!! Really!!!

I thought the same, but googled it, and BOTH spellings are acceptable, strange because it is used for taping aircon ducting.

Originally, it was made with cotton duck cloth and called duck tape.

Today, DuckTape is a registered trademark, so everyone else calls it duct tape.

Kinda sad that I knew that before I even checked Wikipedia, huh?

[Chalard]

don`t forget to close the door on the way out !

Obviously the person who closed the door didn't do it properly.....

[minikev]

No Thai grass cutters available!

[sjjmmi]

maybe the bar fridge fell out also

[SunsetT]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

Duct tape, not Duck Tape. Used for taping DUCTS not DUCKS!!! Really!!!

Dont worry......Im a bit quackers......

Im sure Nokair would use duck tape.....lol............

[umbanda]

Same reason you should never buy a car owned by a Thai person.

There is one thing to buy an item another to maintain it.

One of my surprises in Thailand is how well maintained are most older cars... and some...are keeping its value very well..... If interested...my neighbor is selling his 1994 Volvo 960 and his 1992 MB 280 in pristine and showroom condition.

[gandalf12]

Try Sahara Airways and you will think this aircraft is wonderful. The seat can move back and forth as they are not firmly secured.

[gyrosman]

obviously the plane had the usual thai maintenance work to ensure it safety aspects were up to scratch , getting worse and worse here for any sort of maintenance work to be carried out no mater what it is, buildings, bridges, busses etc and now aircrafts. Have to wonder how many people have to die or how often this sort of thing has to happen before they actually start taking safety maintenance seriously, suppose they just cant stand to lose all that profit by doing it though.

Those Damn brakes again.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Well?

I guess better the door than the wing or engine.

[biplanebluey]

Same reason you should never buy a car owned by a Thai person.

There is one thing to buy an item another to maintain it.

One of my surprises in Thailand is how well maintained are most older cars... and some...are keeping its value very well..... If interested...my neighbor is selling his 1994 Volvo 960 and his 1992 MB 280 in pristine and showroom condition.

I'm sure your neighbor will be so pleased to find you're advertising his cars for him NOW ----- re the OP and this aeroplane--------------

[mankondang]

Chinese tour groups are canvassing to have these doors standardized on commercial aircraft to hurry things along.

[JAG]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

Duct tape, not Duck Tape. Used for taping DUCTS not DUCKS!!! Really!!!

I thought the same, but googled it, and BOTH spellings are acceptable, strange because it is used for taping aircon ducting.

Originally, it was made with cotton duck cloth and called duck tape.

Today, DuckTape is a registered trademark, so everyone else calls it duct tape.

Kinda sad that I knew that before I even checked Wikipedia, huh?

Easier to refer to it as " black nasty" ( British military slang) or in this case I suppose " blue nasty "!

Marvelous stuff. If the Soviets could have invented something sprayed from the air which dissolved the glue on it British Army of the Rhine would have literally disintegrated!

[mettech]

There is Gorilla tape now very strong they would not need to weld or screw the door to the frame.LOL

[billd766]

It is a Beechcraft Kingair. Hardly a small private aircraft.

Depending on which part of the report you read it could be a Super Kingair B300 (B350).

Thanks to Pib for his link.

First registered 01/04/1997.

It is the last one of 4 in their fleet.

https://www.planelogger.com/Airline/Fleet/Thai_Flying_Services/125391

[ableguy]

Which is why I NEVER sit near the exits.

How many times do you fly in small private aircraft?

My opinion as a pilot

Pilot Error.

Why sloppy walk around.

[mcfish]

Lucky its a plane where the elevator is in high position

[gdgbb]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

Duck tape...what is that?

[Torrens54]

What an ADOORABLE Story on a quiet Newsday.

[wotsdermatter]

Deerhunter,

You are both right and wrong. DUCT tape was invented during WWII for doing good, quick repairs initially to aircraft and it has always been known as DUCT tape. However, now there is a company that manufactures a similar product and it is called DUCK tape and it is not used to repair ducks but is used the same as DUCT tape.

[kimamey]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

It's not a duck it's a door.

[Thian]

silly me, i thought the monks were the gardeners of the temples

[jhonnie]

.....Didnt know you could buy duck tape that big.........

Duct tape, not Duck Tape. Used for taping DUCTS not DUCKS!!! Really!!!

Duck is funnier

[F4UCorsair]

obviously the plane had the usual thai maintenance work to ensure it safety aspects were up to scratch , getting worse and worse here for any sort of maintenance work to be carried out no mater what it is, buildings, bridges, busses etc and now aircrafts. Have to wonder how many people have to die or how often this sort of thing has to happen before they actually start taking safety maintenance seriously, suppose they just cant stand to lose all that profit by doing it though.

Why do you say that?

It was a small private aircraft and it is the pilots responsibility to do a walk around and to make sure that the aircraft is safe for flight.

Are you serious? Pilots do not have enough technical knowledge to assume that responsibility. Even a small private aircraft is maintained by aviation maintenance engineers.

Wrong Jac. The 'walk around' inspection is a joint pilot/engineer responsibility, and either can refuse to take/dispatch the aircraft if an anomaly is found. I agree that engineers/mechanics have greater technical knowledge, and they do look for different irregularities, and deeper than pilots do, but it is most definitely a pilot responsibility. I've even seen pilots pick up problems that engineers have missed, and of course, vice versa.