National Police Chief Grounds All Aircraft After Two Fatal Crashes in One Month
BANGKOK – In the wake of two deadly aircraft crashes within a month that claimed the lives of nine officers, Thailand’s national police chief, Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch, has ordered the immediate grounding of all police aviation units for comprehensive safety inspections.
“Two crashes in a month is shocking, and the causes have not been determined yet,” Kittharath stated on Monday. “All aircraft will be grounded until they are proven ready for operation, so that pilots with extensive flight hours can carry out their duties with full confidence.”
The unprecedented move follows the April 25 crash of a DHC-6 Twin Otter near a beach in Cha-am, Phetchaburi province, which killed all six people aboard during a post-maintenance test flight. The Canadian-made aircraft, delivered in 2017, was undergoing operational checks when it went down.
Just weeks later, on May 18, a Bell 212 helicopter — reportedly over 40 years old — crashed in Muang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan, killing three officers. The Bell 212 model has long been in use by the Thai Police Aviation Division, which originally acquired 10 units. Only three remain in operation, including the one involved in the latest crash. All had passed inspections as recently as April 13.
Pol Gen Kittharath announced plans to visit the Police Aviation Division headquarters in Bang Khen to review the status of both crash investigations. His visit aims to shape new maintenance protocols and potentially decommission aging aircraft in the fleet.
The investigations into the crashes are ongoing. The grounding will remain in effect until each aircraft is cleared for safe operation.
