Fatal MD-82 Crash in Thailand

Aviation authorities probing the Sept. 16 crash of a Thai-registered MD-82 in Phuket, Thailand will be aided in their investigation by recovery of the cockpit voice and flight data recorders at the crash site. There were 123 passengers and five crew on board.
As of Sept. 17, the death toll had climbed to 90, including 55 foreign tourists. At least 29 people survived the accident, but the pilot and co-pilot were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is assisting the government of Thailand in its investigation of the crash in Phuket, one of Thailand’s most popular resort islands. The accident occurred at 4 pm local time when a low-fare One-Two-Go Airways MD-82, 0G269 (Thailand registered), which had departed Bangkok, ran off the end of the runway while landing in heavy rain and strong winds, then rammed a low retaining wall, split in two and caught fire. Kajit Habnanonda, president of Orient-Thai Airlines, which owns One-Two-Go, the domestic subsidiary, said wind shear was a possible cause of the accident. Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker  designated investigator Jill Andrews as the U.S. Accredited Representative. She is accompanied by representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney. The air carrier reportedly has a mixed fleet of a dozen Boeing 747s and MD-82s.