83 FEARED KILLED IN THAI AIR CRASH (Published 1987)
- ️Tue Sep 01 1987
- Sept. 1, 1987
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A Thai Airways jet on a domestic flight plunged into the sea near Phuket Island today, and officials said they believed all 83 people aboard were killed.
Two Americans were said to be among the 37 foreigners on the plane, a Boeing 737.
Spokesmen said 17 bodies were recovered before search operations halted for the night because of high winds and poor visibility. Meteorologists said skies were clear when the crash occurred.
''As of 10:30 P.M., Thai Airways believes there are no survivors,'' a statement from the airline said. #2d Aircraft Involved Air Marshal Narong Dithipeng, managing director of the state-run airline, said at a news conference earlier today that the Thai plane was trying to evade a 737 of the Hong Kong-based line Dragonair as both planes were approaching the airport.
The Thai plane crashed into the Andaman Sea eight miles from the resort island's airport.
In a statement from Hong Kong, Dragon Airlines Ltd. officials said they had spoken to the captain of their aircraft and were ''assured that the Dragonair aircraft was not involved.'' The statement gave no details and the Dragonair jet's crew would not talk to reporters when the plane returned to Hong Kong.
Prayoon Thavisang, manager of the Phuket airport, said the aircraft were following a landing procedure that had caused no problems in the past. He said by telephone that he doubted there were any survivors.
Air Marshal Narong said the plane carried 9 crew members, 35 Thai passengers, 37 foreign passengers and two children accompanying adults. He said the foreign passengers were 30 Malaysians, 2 Americans, 2 Japanese and 3 Europeans.
A partial passenger list from the airline identified the Americans as William N. Ward and his Thai-born wife, Jantree. No further information was given.
Officials said the sea search by a patrol vessel and 20 fishing boats was suspended about three and a half hours after the crash, but rescue boats ringed the crash area to prevent bodies from being swept into deeper waters.
The Thai Airways flight originated in Hat Yai, a commercial center 155 miles east of Phuket. After the Phuket stop it was to continue to about 540 miles northeast of the island.
Air Marshal Narong said ''the reason for the crash was to avoid a Boeing 737 of Dragonair, which also was descending,'' He said at the news conference he did not know the reason for the reported near collision.
Crew members of the Dragonair jet, which carried 127 people and landed safely, reported the crash of Thai Airways Flight TH365 to the control tower.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section
A
, Page
8
of the National edition
with the headline:
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