Plane, Crash, Phuket

00:30 I have started a new post.

23:50
Matt, a blogger living in Phuket, has some photos and some thoughts on those affected by the tragedy: Key quote:

Husbands lost their wives, mothers lost their children, children lost their parents. The pilot and co-pilot were both killed and only one of the seven crew on board survived.

COMMENT: With around 90 people killed and 40 injured one shouldn't forget the pain and suffering of the families and friends. The Nation has an updated list of the injured and a list of phone numbers.

22:50 TITV interviewed the new British Ambassador in Thai who was on his way to Phuket by car with other staff from the embassy. He passed on the normal diplomatic niceties about thanking the Thai authorities for their support. He wouldn't officially confirm the death of any British nationals. He recommended families of British nationals to go to the FCO website which reads:

The British Embassy in Bangkok has opened an emergency service to deal with the aftermath of the plane accident in Phuket on 16th September.

If you are in Thailand and have an urgent enquiry about the accident, please phone the British Embassy on 02 305 8333 or email: ConsularEnquiries.Bangkok@fco.gov.uk .

COMMENT: The same advice would apply to other countries as well.

The Nation reports:

Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol Na Songkhla said 87 bodies were retrieved from the debris of the One-Two-Go aircraft that crashed at the Phuket Airport on Saturday. The number of passengers injured were 43.

There are a total of 130 passengers, including crew.

COMMENT: Ok, the details are certainly becoming clearer now with there being 130 people on board with 43 injured. Some very unofficial list of names of the injured at hospitals is available here although non-Thais would be advised to check with their Foreign Ministry/local diplomatic mission for confirmation. A background to the airline is available here. It is such a small airline and will be difficult to recover.

I am surprised not to see any comments by PM Surayud. Bigwigs can usually get in the way of things, but a comment or two that the government has the situation under control would help ease some concerns. I imagine it just reaffirms the view of the "Old Ginger" government. No doubt Thaksin would have found a way to comment and would be on the scene tomorrow.

CNN have an article here.

21:10 The Manager reports that diplomatic missions are sending staff to Phuket. Diplomatic missions include Australia, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, and Sweden.

COMMENT: Sources of mine tell me that other embassies are also sending staff to Phuket and are at the airport coordinating with the Thai government. If you are overseas and trying to find out whether a relative/loved one has been injured or killed you should contact the Foreign Ministry/State Department so they can coordinate with the local embassy/consulate. All of them have after hours emergency numbers. I say this because names on websites are often wrong with first names confused with surnames.

21:00: CEO of One-Two-Go Udom Tantiprasongchai is interviewed on TITV stated that the plane was leased from abroad and was 12-13 years old. He said the pilot was Indonesian and was experienced. He confirmed that they would pay for all hospital expenses.
COMMENT: Well, if you are interested and still wanting to use One-Two-Go services the CEO confirmed they are still operating tomorrow.

I will update if there are any major updates.

20:45: AP reports:

Phuket's Deputy Governor Worapot Ratthaseema told The Associated Press that at least 66 bodies were laid out in the airport building.

"At least 66 people have been confirmed and 42 have been hospitalized," Worapot said, adding the remaining passengers are missing.

Worapot could not say how many of the dead were foreigners but he said among the dead were Irish, Israeli, Australian and British passengers. He said as many as 27 of the injured were foreigners.

An Irish survivor, identified as Sean, told of being badly burned on his arms, legs and back as he escaped the flames. Speaking to TITV from a local hospital, he said he knew something was wrong even before the flight landed.

"You could tell when it was landing it was in trouble," he said. "It was making a noise, this bang."

Chaisak Angsuwan, director general of the Air Transport Authority of Thailand, said weather played a part in the crash.

"The visibility was poor as the pilot attempted to land. He decided to make a go-around but the plane lost balance and crashed," he said. "It was torn into two parts."

COMMENT: Worapot giving the same details to the Nation Channel stated that 14 were missing, but expected to be dead. He seemed to imply that the bodies were still further in the plane.

The anchor of TITV whose English is quite good called him John and referred to his name being John and not Sean. After the interview, the anchor is actually giving a summarised English translation of the interview. So if you are in Thailand, can't speak Thai, and want to follow the situation TITV seems to be providing the best coverage.

20:25: Nation Channel reports that that plane tried to land once, but due to poor visibility and heavy rain had to abort. The pilot tried a second time and well you know the result.

COMMENT: This eerily reminds me of the 1998 Thai airways crash:

Thai Airways Flight 261 was scheduled passenger flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Surat Thani, Thailand. On December 11, 1998, the ill-fated flight was being operated with an Airbus A310-300, registration HS-TIA.

Thai Flight 261 carrying 146 people on board took off from Don Mueang International Airport at 11:40 UST on a two hour flight to Surat Thani. When the aircraft begin to descend to Surat Thani Airport, the weather was bad with heavy rain and poor visibility, and the pilot executed a missed approach two times. On a third attempt to land, the aircraft stalled and crashed two miles southwest of the airport, killing 101 people and injuring 45 people. Probable cause of the crash was determined to be "spatial disorientation when the nose pitched up sharply during a night time approach in stormy weather".

20:10: Communications Cabinet Minister Thira tells Nation Channel that 69 bodies have been found, but still more bodies inside the plane. He says there will be an investigation, but noted that visibility was affected due to the heavy rain. He also said that Phuket airport was closed and other flights in thea air would be diverted to nearby airports, like Krabi.

COMMENT: Nation Channel also reports 43 people survived and 17 are still missing.

19:50: TITV reports that the phone number for Bangkok-Phuket hospital 076 254 421. The government have set up a coordinating center at Don Muang to help coordinate with numerous bigwigs showing up. There is also a phone number at Phuket Airport 076 351 090 and 076 351 517 . A Cabinet Minister says that only 44 Thais (excluding crew?) were onboard and the remaining were foreigners. One-two-Go have a special number of 1126.

COMMENT: We have a break in the news on all channels for the daily Royal News. No comment is necessary.

The percentage of foreigners has increased, previously there were meant to be 67 Thais, but now it is reported there were only 44 Thais although The Nation reports something different.

19:50: SMH reports:

Two Australians are among 29 people who survived a plane crash on the Thai resort island of Phuket today, hospital officials said.

19:40: The Nation Channel is interviewing a Public Relations Officer at Bangkok-Phuket hospital (a reasonably good hospital). They have 30 patients. 5 are seriously injured which includes 1 Thai (a female). The other 25 are not seriously injured. Most are the injured are foreigners. Australians, Austrians, Irish, and British are some of the nationalities mentioned.

COMMENT: This suggests that the death toll won't be as high as expected which was previously up to 90% of the 129 persons who were on-board the plane.

I should note that one of the survivors stated there was no explosion. No suggestion that it was a terrorist attack and no mention of terrorism either.

19:25: Daily News (Thai language newspaper) has photos on the frontpage - WARNING Thai newspapers often show quite graphic images so be warned as they might update the page.

COMMENT: The Nation Channel asks each survivor on which faith they believe in almost in a belief that on why they were lucky to survive - no Jatukam believers so far. A hint all the survivors so far were in the middle of the plane near the emergency door.

19:20: The Nation Channel is interviewing another survivor saying that the landing was "strange". The plane was trying to land and went up and down. He sees that he felt that the tires touched the ground and then the plane tried to lift off again, but crashed. He was about 4 metres from the wing - close to the emergency door. He says that the person next to him was killed.

Photos available of the plane wreck from the Nation's photographer at OkNation here.

19:10: Wichira Hospital Director is being interviewed on Nation Channel who is at the scene and states there were 129 people in total including crew. About 40 people survived although many are injured and have been sent to various hospital.

COMMENT: One could estimate that 89 have been killed. AP reports 100 feared dead.

19:05: The plane which crashed was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82. The following is an image from The Manager:



19:00: The Nation Channel reports on details on the flight manifest 67 Thais and 57 foreigners (this is 124 and not 123 as mentioned below). The nationalities of the foreigners mentioned were Israelis, Irish, and Australian. Emergency workers have recovered 45 bodies from the scene.

18:50: The Nation has a list of the injured at a hospital in Phuket:

1. Likhit Liengpansakul - ICU

2. Parinwit Choosaeng - ICU

3. Chainarong maharae - ICU

4. Apichart Pata

5. Eric Nileland

6. Cristopher Maken

7. Nong Kaonual

8. Ladda Kaonual

9. Pratin Lienchamroon

10. Sarah (unknown surname)

COMMENT: Nong, person no 7, was the person interviewed on Nation Channel below.

18:40: BBC now has an article. We now have Nation Channel reporting on the names of 10 injured at one hospital (Siriroj). 8 Thais and 2 foreigners were from the names. Transliteration from Thai to English, the two foreigners are Eric Nailand and Chrisopther Magen.

18:30: Nation Channel is continuing the same interview with the survivor. He said that he saw about 10 other people also jumped out the emergency door. He estimates there were about an equal number of Thais and foreigners.

He said he received no special announcements from the pilot to suggest there were any problems. He says that the plane was travelling faster than normal upon landing. He says he didn't feel the wheels touch the ground, it just split into two. He said looking into the plane was full of smoke.

COMMENT: As is typical, only Nation Channel has live reports now Channels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and TITV have gone back to normal programming.

18:20: The Nation Channel has a telephone interview with a survivor named Norng who was on the left hand side of the plane near the wings with his wife (ie near the emergency door). He is injured although he appears to be dazed as he isn't making much sense in the telephone conversation. His wife is quite seriously injured.

Talking from Orient Executive (One-to-Go corporate entity) saying that Phuket airport is closed.

18:10 Reports from the scene from Nation Channel. The plane tried to land, but wasn't able to so tried to elevate and the plane split in two.

18:10 The Nation Channel reports from one hospital they have 6 foreigners (Israelis and Australians). The Nation Channel is quoting from a person whose parents survived and called them to say they are safe. The reports states the couple survived after they jumped from the plane window after the crash.

18:05 The Nation Channel reports from the scene paraphrasing emergency workers who believe from the damage and from what they saw that 90% of people on the plane would have died.

Chief of Phuket Police saying that a large number of people died. On those who survived, he said that it is not a large number and many are seriously injured.

Deputy Governor of Phuket says the entire plane destroyed and more than 90% of the 128 people onboard would have been killed (123 passengers + 5 crew members).

17:55: The Manager reports:

เครื่องบินวันทูโกระเบิดเพลิงไหม้ทั้งลำแล้วหลังไถลออกนอกรันเวย์ ระดมเจ้าหน้าที่ แพทย์ พยาบาลให้การช่วยเหลือผู้โดยสาร 123 คนติดในเครื่อง พร้อมลูกเรืออีก 5 คน ล่าสุดมีรายงานว่าผู้เสียชีวิตประมาณ 60 คนแล้วและบาดเจ็บจำนวนมาก

จากกรณีที่เกิดเหตุเครื่องบินของสายการบินวันทูโกแอร์ เที่ยวบินที่ OG 269 เกิดอุบัติเหตุลื่นไถลออกนอกรันเวย์ ขณะลงจอดที่ท่าอากาศยานภูเก็ตเมื่อช่วงเวลาประมาณ 16.00 น.วันนี้ (16 ก.ย.) ล่าสุดมีรายงานข่าวว่า ภายหลังจากลื่นไถลเครื่องบินได้เกิดเสียงระเบิดขึ้น 2 ครั้ง หลังจากนั้นได้เกิดเพลิงไหม้ตัวเครื่องบิน ขณะที่มีอยู่โดยสารอยู่ในเครื่องบิน 123 คน พร้อมลูกเรืออีก 5คน

Summarised Translation: Flight No OC269 departed Bangkok about 14:20 and crashed around 4pm today (16 Sep). Expected that around 60 people have died. 2 explosions.

COMMENT: TITIV reports from an official source saying 30 killed. Heavy run in Phuket so the 2 explosions might just be the noise and not a sign of a bomb etc.

17:45pm : TITV reports that at least 2 crew members have survived. The TITV reporter at the scene is told that up to 100 people could have been killed. Those who are injured are seriously injured.

COMMENT: We have no video of the airport as the authorities won't let them. All channels just have the studio background and are on telephone.

The Nation reports:

A budget airline exploded and broke into two pieces after it slid out of runway and crashed with nearby walls at Phuket airport on Saturday afternoon.

The number of injuries is not able to be confirmed, but some reports said 60 passengers were killed.

Initial report said the airline; One-to-Go, has 123 passengers and crew.

The MB 82 airline landed at the Phuket airport at about 3.40pm from Bangkok and was taxing when it slid out of the slippery runway caused by heavy rains.

The aircraft then crashed with trees and walls nearby.

Eye-witnesses said the impact of the crash broke the aircraft into two pieces and they heard noises of explosion sporadically.

Rescue teams and navy rushed to the scene.

COMMENT: Channel 7 reports from the scene that more than 100 injured. Mixture of Thais and foreigners. No of deaths still unknown so unsure whether report of 60 is accurate