Brits among injured in Koh Samui crash
Wednesday, 5 August 2009 12:00 AM
The wreckage at Koh Samui Airport
Two British holidaymakers are among those injured following an accident which saw a Bangkok Airways flight skid off the runway on the holiday island of Koh Samui.
The pilot was killed in the accident early on Tuesday morning, with four others - including the British travellers, an Italian and Swiss national - also reported injured.
All had broken legs, while the co-pilot also suffered leg injuries, explained Bangkok Airways managing director Puttipong Prasartthong-Osoth.
Pilot Chartchai Pansuwan had 19 years' experience flying commercial aircraft, added Mr Puttipong.
Bangkok Airways Flight PG266 had departed from the Thai resort of Krabi for the holiday island, before colliding with an unmanned air traffic control tower during landing in heavy rain.
Some 68 passengers and four crew were onboard the ATR-72 twin-turboprop plane at the time of the crash. Many were trapped for over an hour while rescue workers struggled to free them.
Mr Puttipong added: "The cause of the accident isn't known yet.
"We are still investigating. We are not sure if it was caused by bad weather or if it was human error."
travelbite.co.uk staff
