Chopper with a general on board lost contact with control tower

[webfact]

Chopper with a general on board lost contact with control tower

 

 

BANGKOK: -- A helicopter with five people on board, including Maj-Gen Nopporn Ruanchan, commander of the 4th infantry division, has lost contact with the control tower.

 

Third Army Region Commander Lt-Gen Somsak Ninbancherdkul said Maj-Gen Nopporn was on board the UH-72 helicopter on its way to its base in Phitsanuloke from Pang Mapha district of Mae Hong Son where he inspected the flood situation and directed relief operations to help flood victims.

 

He said the control tower in Phitsanuloke lost radio contact with the chopper at about 10.30 am.

 

However, a search and rescue team has been sent to look for the “missing” helicopter.

Four other people on board the chopper are the pilot, Captain Sutun Onmuang, co-pilot Lt Nawapat Maneechote, and two mechanics, Sgt-Maj first class Chaisakda Thaso and Sgt-Maj third class Mongkolchai Roo-ngarn.

 

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai governor Pawin Chamniprasart had alerted Mae Chaem district chief officer, forestry and local officials on standby in case a ground search operation is to be launched.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chopper-general-board-lost-contact-control-tower/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-15

 

[Thechook]

Isn't everyone a general in Thailand

[tomwct]

1. Thailand has more Generals than US and China combined! They also don't do maintenance on planes and helicoptes. They normally leave that to the US during Cobra Gold exercises.

[Alive]

I wonder what this general was worth. Many seem to be very very wealthy and yet they use conscripts. Talk about the 1%. Well, his family will be okay at least. I'm sure they'll find him.

[ChrisY1]

More Thai military personnel, are lost from faulty equipment and incompetence.........

[Artisi]

All the forgoing is pretty well meaningless to the lead story, where is the chopper and what is being done about, or don't the lives of those of board account for much compared to slagging off about bugger all. 

[xineohp]

Generals, Thailand has thousands, it's pilots Thailand is short of.

[JAG]

7 minutes ago, xineohp said:

Generals, Thailand has thousands, it's pilots Thailand is short of.

I wouldn't, have thought that they have many helicopters left either...

[12DrinkMore]

For a few thousand Baht they could put a GPS tracker on every helicopter and check its position over the internet in real time.

[12DrinkMore]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

More Thai military personnel, are lost from faulty equipment and incompetence.........

 

Incompetence has probably been the main cause of loss of life in all the various armies over the years.

[SOTIRIOS]

....not good....

[webfact]

Search for missing army helicopter resumes this morning

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Search for the missing UH-72 A Lakota  light utility helicopter with the commander of the Fourth Infantry Division Maj-Gen Nopporn Ruanchan, two pilots and two mechanics, on board  continued this morning with 30 teams of soldiers, police, forestry officials, village volunteers, and air force personnel set off on foot to suspected targets in the densely jungles adjoining Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai provinces.

 

The search was possible this morning only by foot teams as poor weather still obstructed search by aircraft.

Visibility from aerial search was just 20 metres, thus making it impossible to fly to the suspected targets where last contact signal was received, said commander of the Third Army Region Lt Gen Somsak Nilbanjerdkul Monday morning.

 

He said villagers reported sighting the helicopter at 10.30 am yesterday but this has yet to be confirmed again.

Earlier the commander said the helicopter lost contact with flight control at 10.30am Sunday, about 30 minutes after taking off from Pang Ma Pha district of Mae Hong Son.

 

He said the helicopter was likely to have disappeared in the Doi Inthanon National Park in Mae Chaem district of Chiang Mai.

 

The helicopter was on a mission to Mae Hong Son on Saturday afternoon for a relief operation in Pai and Pang Ma Pha districts which were hit by flash floods.

 

The incident was immediately reported to the Army commander-in-chief Gen Thirachaibl Narkvanich yesterday, he said.

 

Lt-Gen Somsak said the UH-72 A Lakota which went missing was among six helicopters put into commission in September last year.

 

He said it was the only helicopter which was put into commission at the Fourth Infantry Division for use.

 

The Army ordered six UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopters at 2.4 billion baht from the US.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/search-for-missing-army-helicopter-resumes-this-morning/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-15

[mike324]

I remember a couple years ago when an army helicopter went down, two subsequent rescue helicopters that went looking for the 1st helicopeter also crashed as well killing all aboard! Very ironic...needless to say, maintenence is not the tops for Thais, not just the army. Just look at the trains derailments, buses with failed brakes...the list goes on

 

 

[ClutchClark]

I have not read this crash was the result of failed maintenance.

 

i have read that visibility is too poor for aircraft to participate in the search today and so its entirely possible that weather played a factor in the crash.

 

but don't let an absence of facts slow down your Thai bashing rant.

[metisdead]

A post containing an aberrant misspelling of the PM's name has been removed.  

[DrTuner]

36 minutes ago, 12DrinkMore said:

For a few thousand Baht they could put a GPS tracker on every helicopter and check its position over the internet in real time.

I believe it's time to give all the generals SIM cards with tracking.

[Stargeezr]

I am wondering about how many Generals there are in the American military?

  With that country so far in debt, in the trillions, and headed for the next zero.

  Makes me wonder how many generations it will really take to see the debt

get even a bit less than it is. With the election and hearing of a promise

to lower taxes, yet again, makes me think that America will never ever get out of

the debt it is in. I hope the find this helicopter and that the crew have survived

the crash

Stargrazer

[american12bthai]

6 hours ago, tomwct said:

1. Thailand has more Generals than US and China combined! They also don't do maintenance on planes and helicoptes. They normally leave that to the US during Cobra Gold exercises.

not doing PMCS on any of their gear is the staple of thainess. 

[ClutchClark]

Just now, american12bthai said:

not doing PMCS on any of their gear is the staple of thainess. 

 

Whether that is true or not is immaterial conjecture in this topic of a missing helicopter.

 

BTW, how do any of you know what the majntenance practices are of the Thai Military aircraft?

 

Genuine question.

 

 

 

 

[waldroj]

1 hour ago, 12DrinkMore said:

For a few thousand Baht they could put a GPS tracker on every helicopter and check its position over the internet in real time.

 

Although it does require mobile coverage, a free piece of software for Android phones could have also done the job. See Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alienmanfc6.wheresmyandroid&hl=en)

 

 

[metisdead]

1 hour ago, digibum said:

 

Can someone explain why the OP story felt the need to put quotation marks around the word "missing"?  

 

Do they suspect it was stolen?  

 

You can contact ThaiPBS and ask them why they felt the need to put quotation marks around the word "missing" at the following link:

 

http://www2.thaipbs.or.th/contact.php

[ClutchClark]

26 minutes ago, waldroj said:

 

Although it does require mobile coverage, a free piece of software for Android phones could have also done the job. See Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alienmanfc6.wheresmyandroid&hl=en)

 

 

 

The news article indicates they have the position of the EPIRB from the aircraft.

 

They just cannot fly to it due to limited visibility so have to rely on ground forces

[billd766]

2 hours ago, ClutchClark said:

I have not read this crash was the result of failed maintenance.

 

i have read that visibility is too poor for aircraft to participate in the search today and so its entirely possible that weather played a factor in the crash.

 

but don't let an absence of facts slow down your Thai bashing rant.

 

You beat me to it. It doesn't really matter to the keyboard warriors that 5 people may have died and 5 families torn apart just as long as they can get their slagging off done.

[webfact]

Missing helicopter debris found by search team

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Rescue teams searching for the UH-72 A Lakota army light utility helicopter which went missing while on the way back from Mae Hong Son to Phitsanulok have found the helicopter debris at a location 2,445 metres above mean sea level.

 

Several documental papers were also found at the scene near Doi Inthanon mountain range but there were no traces of the five army officers on board.

 

The team are still searching the area for survivors.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/missing-helicopter-debris-found-search-team/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-15

[dcnx]

Assuming he didn't just fly off to Myanmar, they still have 1700 more Generals, so the military could actually lose a few more and be ok.

[JAG]

A few years ago a Huey helicopter was on display at the Chang Rai Airport's Children's Day.

 

Hordes of children spent the day clam bering over it, sitting in the cockpit, stamping on pedals, pulling levers and pressing buttons, attended by a couple of conscripts. 

 

At the end of the day the aircrew swaggered out, adjusted their Ray bans,  climbed aboard,  revved up and beetled off, without any checks whatsoever! The conscripts climbed into a pickup and drove away - sensible lads.

 

I've never liked helicopters,  I've always distrusted aircraft which are capable of colliding with themselves, but there is no way you would ever,ever, get me up in one here!

Edited August 15, 2016 by JAG

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, mike324 said:

I remember a couple years ago when an army helicopter went down, two subsequent rescue helicopters that went looking for the 1st helicopeter also crashed as well killing all aboard! Very ironic...needless to say, maintenence is not the tops for Thais, not just the army. Just look at the trains derailments, buses with failed brakes...the list goes on

 

 

Maybe it's failed society syndrome.  

[Artisi]

8 hours ago, Alive said:

I wonder what this general was worth. Many seem to be very very wealthy and yet they use conscripts. Talk about the 1%. Well, his family will be okay at least. I'm sure they'll find him.

Probably worth a lot more than you in human goodness.

[webfact]

All five bodies found

 

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Rescue teams have finally found the bodies of five army officers who were on board the fatal UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter that crashed into a cliff near Doi Inthanon mountain in Mae Chaem district of Chiang Mai late this afternoon.

 

The body of Maj Gen Noppaul Ruanjahn was found inside the wreckage of the fatal helicopter while two bodies found about 100 metres away.

 

Two other bodies were also found later.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/five-bodies-found/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-15

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

As noted by others there was a period in which 3 choppers went down. At that stage only 40 of the 80 choppers was airworthy as there was not enough money to fix and maintain the others. It would have cost +- B 10 bn to get them in the air again. Yet they have bought new Grippen fighters and will be buying submarines. The priorities of the military is just so skew and their management of their budget is suspect to say the least.