A Cessna Caravan C208 (HS-SKR) owned by The Thai Flying Service crashed at 3:18 p.m. Thursday behind Wat Khao Din in Bang Pakong district. The plane was en route from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Trat province’s Ko Mai Si Airport.
Tragically, all nine passengers—including five Chinese nationals—died in the crash that occurred not long after takeoff from Bangkok. The passengers listed on the manifest were Zhang Jingjing, 12; Tang Yu, 42; Yin Jinfeng, 45; and Yin Hang, 13, all were Chinese Nationals.
The crew were Thai flight attendants Napak Jirasiri (35 years old) and Siriyupa Arunatid (26 years old) and Flansak Totab, 30, and Flt Lt Anucha Dechapirakchon, 61, were the pilot and co-pilots, respectively.
According to Flight Tracker the plane crashed approximately 19 nautical miles southeast of Bangkok airport; the plane lost communication with ground control at 14:57 local time after taking off at 14:46 local time the Aviation Safety Network reported.
The Governor of Chachoengsao Province, Mr. Chonlathi Youngtrong said they deployed backhoes to dig and clear the water and mud away from the crash site. He said teams had to work against time and the approaching high tide at around 8pm.
At approximately 7:40 pm rescue workers unearthed human remains, along with suitcases, airplane seats, and paper documents.
The search for the missing victims continued Friday morning, as did efforts to locate the plane’s black box, to determine the cause of the crash, is believed to be submerged in the mangrove’s muddy waters.
The Nation News reports a witness allegedly reported hearing a loud explosion before the plane crashed into the mangrove forest, with debris hitting a nearby house.
According to Cessna the Caravan C208 (HS-SKR) is known for its rugged utility and flexibility, with a powerful dependable 675-horsepower PT6A-114A turbine engine.
The Cessna 208 Caravan project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984. By 2022, 3,000 had been delivered and 24 million flight hours have been logged.
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