Chopper with a general on board lost contact with control tower

[Plutojames88]

R.I.P

[Rorri]

27 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

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.

Similar thing happened to the aircraft, for the aircraft carrier, and they want submarines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTMS_Chakri_Naruebet

[ChrisY1]

3 days now......2016 already and obviously no gps ping or signal to trace the downed machine....

Again and again...non combat Thai military personnel missing, possibly no longer alive, and the incompetence and faulty equipment saga continues.....

[bubba]

Interestingly, yesterday afternoon I received an SMS news alert from that other newspaper and it said that the helicopter had safely landed in Chiang Mai.

 

By the way, this UH-72 was less than a year old and must have had the most advanced avionics. The level of training and competence for the flight crews must be sadly deficient to fly into a mountain like this.

Edited August 15, 2016 by bubba

[ClutchClark]

18 minutes ago, bubba said:

By the way, this UH-72 was less than a year old and must have had the most advanced avionics. The level of training and competence for the flight crews must be sadly deficient to fly into a mountain like this.

 

Just curious but do you have any time in rotary wing aircraft?

 

BTW, they were trained in the US.

 

http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsfirst-royal-thai-army-personnel-complete-uh-72a-lakota-flight-training-4524866

Edited August 15, 2016 by ClutchClark

[ClutchClark]

Here is some decent reading:

 

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/thailands-hawk-family-helicopters-05690/

[Bung]

Those nasty jungle spirits up to their old tricks again I see.  Better dispatch a bunch of those generals into the forest with some monks and appease them like they did last time a couple crashed.  Nothing to do with lack of maintenance and training. 

[Thechook]

8 hours ago, JAG said:

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

I think they have 2 left.  Maybe plans after they get thier submarine fleet and equipt the aircraft carrier they may buy replacements.  

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[Old Salt]

Condolences to their families... sad day.  Hopefully an investigation will identify the reasons and help prevent similar in the future.  I personally know several excellent Thai pilots, have flown with them and would trust my Gran with them if she were alive.  One hopes that there was no pressure by upper echelon to push on through inclement weather. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

Mae Chaem District (the presumed crash area) to Phitsnaluk is around 290 kms well outside the range of any VHF comms with Phitsanaluk so the headline is a crock. The only effective comms over that distance would be via HF radio not installed in this helo.

[waldroj]

21 minutes ago, Old Salt said:

Condolences to their families... sad day.  Hopefully an investigation will identify the reasons and help prevent similar in the future.  I personally know several excellent Thai pilots, have flown with them and would trust my Gran with them if she were alive.  One hopes that there was no pressure by upper echelon to push on through inclement weather. 

Old Salt

 

You've probably nailed it. Always a problem with senior brass in the passenger seat. 

[Winniedapu]

3 hours ago, dcnx said:

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.

 

 

Gives me a wizzo idea for a new kind of self-drive package tour. Senior officers only...

 

Winnie

[ClutchClark]

2 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Mae Chaem District (the presumed crash area) to Phitsnaluk is around 290 kms well outside the range of any VHF comms with Phitsanaluk so the headline is a crock. The only effective comms over that distance would be via HF radio not installed in this helo.

 

About the only thing you have just figured out is that another Thai news article written by someone whose first language is not English and who probably has zero knowledge of aircraft wrore an inaccurate headline. Which happens about 5 times a day.

 

The article says, "last contact signal received". 

 

 

[american12bthai]

1 hour ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Just curious but do you have any time in rotary wing aircraft?

 

BTW, they were trained in the US.

 

http://www.army-technology.com/news/newsfirst-royal-thai-army-personnel-complete-uh-72a-lakota-flight-training-4524866

 

complete trainning in the US is not the same thing as passing. 

[Psimbo]

How sad to read the condescending and ill informed comments above. A helicopter crashed in bad weather, killing all aboard and some people just want to mock.

 

For your information these are some of the most modern helicopters in Thailand, not some old knocker held together with string and gaffer tape. majority have been in service since 2015.

[Psimbo]

2 hours ago, bubba said:

Interestingly, yesterday afternoon I received an SMS news alert from that other newspaper and it said that the helicopter had safely landed in Chiang Mai.

 

By the way, this UH-72 was less than a year old and must have had the most advanced avionics. The level of training and competence for the flight crews must be sadly deficient to fly into a mountain like this.

I suggest you look at the Mull of Kintyre incident where 25 people  (including a lot of my friends) were killed when a helicopter flew into a hill in inclement weather. Even with the most competent crews in the world this can happen.

[Psimbo]

3 hours ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

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.

Gripens are replacing Vietnam era airframes and are actually quite good for what Thailand requires. 5 other countries (including the UK) seem to find they do the job and about 20 other countries have shown an interest in them.

 

Sub contracts have NOT been signed, hopefully this will just remain a pipe dream. 

 

Part of Prayut's trip to Moscow was to discus the purchase of new Mil helicopters. Seems to me that the budget is fine at present and they are looking at the right equipment, not just turning to over-technical and harder to maintain US material.

[MobileContent]

5 hours ago, dcnx said:

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.

 

Those army personals perished and all you can come up with is some stupid talk. 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

3 days now......2016 already and obviously no gps ping or signal to trace the downed machine....

Again and again...non combat Thai military personnel missing, possibly no longer alive, and the incompetence and faulty equipment saga continues.....

 

Try reading posts #29 and #31 before you post. It may help.

[kickstart]

According to Thai news on the TV this evening , the  helicopter was only brought last year ,not been in Thailand for a year yet .

 

I would say  pilot error  in bad conditions , how  long the pilot has been flying helicopters , and how good his training was is a  different matter  .

[Johpa]

I have ridden my dualsport on some of the mountain sois from Wat Chan down towards Mae Chaem on several occasions.  There is some pretty rugged topography in that area with mountains and pinnacles protruding from the valleys.  Given that at this time of year clouds and dense fog are not uncommon, it would not take much to make a fatal error, the biggest error being to take off. That might not have been the pilot's decision given Thai cultural norms.

[Mook23]

hub of chopper crashes... 

[Mook23]

13 minutes ago, Johpa said:

I have ridden my dualsport on some of the mountain sois from Wat Chan down towards Mae Chaem on several occasions.  There is some pretty rugged topography in that area with mountains and pinnacles protruding from the valleys.  Given that at this time of year clouds and dense fog are not uncommon, it would not take much to make a fatal error, the biggest error being to take off. That might not have been the pilot's decision given Thai cultural norms.

admitting or recognising danger is rare in Thai males... except of course when the danger is a haunted tree or ghost affecting your penile functions....

[webfact]

Bad weather may cause the army helicopter to crash

 

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Severe weather condition might have caused the UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter to lose its balance and to crash onto the ground in Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon, said Lt-Gen Somsak Nilbancherdkul, commander of the 3rd army region, told the Press on Monday.

 

He said that the chopper in which five army officers, including Maj-Gen Noppaul Ruanjahn, commander of the 4th infantry division, were on board did not smash into mountains as speculated and did not explode.

 

However, he said the actual cause of the crash would have to be determined by experts from the aviation safety centre.

 

The bodies of the five officers are being kept at a military hospital in Kawela barracks in Chiang Mai for an autopsy after which they will be delivered to their families for religious ceremonies.

 

Lt-Gen Somsak said the army chief had assured full support for families of the five victims who will be posthumously promoted as a special case.

 

The posthumously promotion will see Maj-Gen Noppaul Ruanjahn to be made a full five-star general; Captain Sutan Ongmuang, the pilot, to be promoted a lieutenant-general; co-pilot Lt Nawapat Maneechote to be promoted a major-general and the two mechanics, Sgt-Maj first class Chaisakda Thaso and Sgt-Maj second class Mongkolchai Roo-ngarn , to be promoted as a major-general and a Lt-Col respectively.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/176230-2/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-16

[rotorbreeze]

The Crash Location Transmitter was not armed..if armed commercial airlines would pick up signal easy...some maintenance records must be check for latest Air-Worthy Directives one daily or time scheduled inspections...sad if all lives are missing..lets hope not.. Army may not allow Eurocopter access investigation...

Edited August 15, 2016 by rotorbreeze

[nausea]

Helicopters are inherently dangerous.

[Colabamumbai]

Typically how you get rid of your opposition in the government.

[ClutchClark]

2 hours ago, rotorbreeze said:

The Crash Location Transmitter was not armed..if armed commercial airlines would pick up signal easy...some maintenance records must be check for latest Air-Worthy Directives one daily or time scheduled inspections...sad if all lives are missing..lets hope not.. Army may not allow Eurocopter access investigation...

This is a preposterous claim on your part.

[ClutchClark]

15 hours ago, bubba said:

Interestingly, yesterday afternoon I received an SMS news alert from that other newspaper and it said that the helicopter had safely landed in Chiang Mai.

 

By the way, this UH-72 was less than a year old and must have had the most advanced avionics. The level of training and competence for the flight crews must be sadly deficient to fly into a mountain like this.

 

Based on the fact that four of the bodies were discovered outside of the cabin by some distance, it is highly unlikely this crash was the result of flying into a mountain.

 

That type of impact results in casualties being found still buckled into their seats.