THAI AIR ACCIDENTS The listing below records almost 1,000 accidents to aircraft in Thailand, and also to Thai civil & military aircraft overseas. Corrections and additions would be very welcome to [email protected]. Principal sources are:- ‘Aerial Nationalism – A History of Aviation in Thailand’ Edward Young (1995) ‘Bangkok Post’ 1946 to date ‘Vietnam Air Losses’ Chris Hobson (2001) plus Sid Nanson, Cheryl Baumgartner, and many other individuals Note that the precise locations of crashes of USAF aircraft 1963-75 vary between different sources. Co-ordinates in [ ] are from US official records, but often differ significantly from locations described in other sources. Date Type Operator Serial Location & Details 22-Dec-29 Boripatra Siamese AF Crashed at Khao Polad, near Burmese border, en route Delhi 07-Dec-31 Fokker F.VIIb KLM PH-AFO Crashed on take-off from Don Muang; 5 killed 22-Jun-33 Puss Moth Aerial Transport Co HS-PAA Crashed after flying into storm at Kumphawapi, en route from Khon Kaen to Udorn 07-Feb-38 Martin 139WSM Siamese AF Seriously damaged in landing accident 18-Mar-38 Curtiss Hawk (II or III) Siamese AF Crashed at Don Muang whilst practising for air show 22-Mar-39 Curtis Hawk 75N Siamese AF Crashed when lost control during high-speed test dive 09-Dec-40 Vought Corsair Thai AF Possibly shot down 10-Dec-40 Vought Corsair Thai AF Shot down 12-Dec-40 Curtiss Hawk III Thai AF Shot down 13-Dec-40 Curtis Hawk 75N Thai AF Destroyed on the ground at Ubon during French bombing raid 14-Dec-40 Curtis Hawk 75N & Hawk III Thai AF Collided on take off from Ubon 10-Jan-41 Mitsubishi Ki-30 Thai AF Shot down by French near Siem Reap 08-Dec-41 6 x Curtiss Hawk III Thai AF Shot down 08-Jan-42 Curtiss P-40 AVG Shot down by ground fire near Mae Sot (pilot was Charley Mott) 24-Mar-42 Curtiss P-40 AVG P8115 Shot down by ground fire near Chiang Mai, probably near Mok Chumpae (pilot was McGarry) (Note: wreck currently in ‘Tango Squadron’ hangar at Chiang Mai) 24-Mar-42 Curtiss P-40 AVG P9196 Shot down by ground fire E of Lamphun [18°34.691N, 99°01.191E] (pilot was Newkirk) late 1942 Mitsubishi Ki-21 Thai AF Crashed into mountain during severe weather whilst returning from a reconnaissance mission over Kengtung 02-Feb-43 7 x Vought Corsair Thai AF Destroyed on ground at Kengtung by USAAF P-40’s 02-Mar-43 Mitsubishi Ki-21 Thai AF Destroyed on ground at Kengtung 08-Apr-44 Curtiss Hawk III Thai AF Shot down by RAF Beaufighter near Chiang Mai 07-Oct-44 2 x Liberator B.VI RAF – 159 Sqdn BZ978 / W & BZ992 / E Just before midnight on 06-Oct-44, 16 Liberators from 159 Sqdn took off for a low level raid on the Liberator B.VI RAF – 355 Sqdn ?? railway just north of Bangkok. They were joined by 8 more from 355 and 356 Sqdns. As they arrived just after dawn on 07-Oct-44, they were attacked by Ki-43 fighters from the Japanese 50th and 64th Sentai. The Japanese made two claims, one by Sgt A. Kato and a second one by Cpls Yamaguchi, Ikeda, R. Yamamoto and W. Niwa. According to Kato the bomber he was firing at suddenly swerved and hit a second one, both going down; both Liberator crews killed (Pilots Wt Offs L.A. Barr and J. McKinnon). Details of loss of 355 Sqdn Liberator unknown 7-May-12 1 Date Type Operator Serial Location & Details 11-Nov-44 3 x Nakajima Ki-27 Thai AF Shot down by USAAF P-51’s near Chiang Mai 11-Nov-44 P-51 Mustang USAAF - 51st FG 44-10812 Lost over Lampang, presumably in dogfight (pilot was Henry Minco) [MACR10064] (Note: first of only 2 claims by Thai pilots against USAAF aircraft in WW2) 21-Nov-44 B-24J Liberator USAAF - 7th BG, 492nd BS 44-40811 Crashed at ‘Geang Luang’ after engine caught fire, on mission from Madhaiganj, India; 11 crew killed [MACR 10050] Nov-44 P-51 Mustang USAAF Lost near Lampang, reason unknown (pilot was Thomas Ankrim) 1944 P-38 Lightning USAAF Shot down at Wiang Haeng, Chiang Mai. (Note: Remains investigated by RTAFM / JPAC team 2004) 27-Nov-44 Nakajima Ki-43 Thai AF Shot down by B-29 over Petchburi 27-Nov-44 Boeing B-29 USAAF – 40th BG 42-24452 Hit by RTAF fighters & crashed in Burma on the way home; 11 MIA (Carl E. Blackwell, Vern H. Hunnell, John G. Gettler, William H. Webster, Robert J. Fancher, William J. Gabriel, Robert A. McCormick, L.D.E. Powers, Bernard Roth, William T. Stone & Carson E. Cole) [MACR10003] (Note: second of only 2 claims by Thai pilots against USAAF aircraft in WW2) Mar-45 Fairchild 24 Thai AF Shot down by USAAF P-51 09-Apr-45 5 x Curtiss Hawk II Thai AF Destroyed on ground at Don Muang by USAAF P-51’s 09-Apr-45 Mitsubishi Ki-30 Thai AF Destroyed on ground at Don Muang by USAAF P-51’s 09-Apr-45 3 x P-51D Mustang USAAF – 2nd AC, 2nd FS 44-15302 + 2 Three P-51’s shot down whilst strafing Don Muang on a mission from Cox’s Bazaar, India. 44-15302 crashed 3 miles W of Chao Phraya river; pilot Capt. Albert Abraham bailed out [MACR13788] (Note: parts of 44-15302 recovered 2010 by RTAF Museum) 12-Jul-45 P-38L Lightning USAAF – 60th FS, 33rd FG 44-25116 Hit by small arms fire whilst on a reconnaissance mission and crashed approx. 12 miles NW of Lampang airfield [18°25'N, 99°25'E]. Pilot 1st Lt. Theodore H. Demezas bailed out [MACR 14710] (Note: Lt. Buntao Punsri operated a flak gun wagon at Lampang Station and claimed to have shot down a P-38. The pilot, Demezas, bailed out successfully and, as RTAF was living a ‘double-life’ during the war, the gunner tried to locate the pilot to render some help. However, the RTA was the first to reach the scene and captured the pilot. Lt. Col. Sarit Tanarat, the army commander, sent Demezas to the Thai underground, Thosd Panthumasen, at a sugar factory near Koh Ka. Apparently, Demezas was sent back to his squadron sometime after the incident) 24/25-Jul-45 Nakajima E8N1 & Aichi E13A-1 Thai Navy Destroyed on ground at Chalong Bay, Phuket by RN Hellcats during ‘Operation Livery’ whilst minesweeping off Phuket. Hellcats were from 804 Sqdn (HMS Ameer) and 896 Sqdn (HMS Empress) 01-Sep-45 Stinson L-5B USAAF – OSS Det.404 42-99633 Landed with a second L-5 (piloted by Perry C. Emmons) at Kanchanaburi strip (football field of POW camp) en route Bangkok because of bad weather & low fuel; re-fueled with Japanese fuel & crashed on subsequent take-off when undercarriage sheared off & fuselage broke up after hitting potholes on the strip; pilot Staff Sergeant Ralph M. Gamble uninjured & evacuated as a passenger in the second L-5 which took off successfully 03-Sep-45 Stinson L-5B USAAF – OSS Det.404 42-99635 On a flight (three L-5’s, and one L-1, 41-18961) from Rangoon to Bangkok; landed at Moulmein to refuel, then took off in search of the missing L-1, escorting it back to Moulmein (from where it returned to Rangoon); re-fueled and continued towards Bangkok; crashed near Kanchanaburi when ran out of fuel after becoming lost in very bad weather; pilot Staff Sergeant Alexander H. Epperson bailed out & uninjured 03-Sep-45 Stinson L-5B USAAF – OSS Det.404 44-16887 On a flight (three L-5’s, and one L-1, 41-18961) from Rangoon to Bangkok; landed at Moulmein to refuel, then took off in search of the missing L-1, escorting it back to Moulmein (from where it returned to Rangoon); re-fueled and continued towards Bangkok; crashed near Kanchanaburi when ran out of fuel after becoming lost in very bad weather; pilot Staff Sergeant Thad A. Ferrell bailed out & uninjured 03-Sep-45 Stinson L-5B USAAF – OSS Det.404 44-16894 On a flight (three L-5’s, and one L-1, 41-18961) from Rangoon to Bangkok; landed at Moulmein to 7-May-12 2 Date Type Operator Serial Location & Details refuel, then took off in search of the missing L-1, escorting it back to Moulmein (from where it returned to Rangoon); re-fueled and continued towards Bangkok; crashed near Kanchanaburi when ran out of fuel after becoming lost in very bad weather; pilot Lieutenant Henry C. Farris & passenger Capt V.M.Rexroad bailed out & uninjured 05-Sep-45 Stinson L-5B USAAF – OSS Det.404 42-99612 Departed Don Mueang to Tayang, picked up one passenger (Major Bartlett), then proceeded to Hua Hin to collect a further passenger (Dr. Chani); crashed into Gulf of Siam, near Hua Hin, following engine failure due to contaminated fuel; minor injuries to pilot 1st Lieutenant Perry C. Emmons & 2 passengers 16-Dec-45 Liberator GR.VIII RAF - 1348 ASR Flight KH134 / J Crashed into sea off Thai Muang approx 85km north of Phuket [8°41'N, 98° 04'E] during air/sea rescue operation; 7 missing (Pilot F/O Norman Edward Middleton, Co-pilot F/Lt. Hugh John Wood, F/O Walter Arthur Barner Lomax, Flight Sergeant David Davidson, Sergeant William Norman Cork, Flight Sergeant Ronald William Stephens & Sergeant Geoffrey Alan Whalley) 09-Aug-48 Bonanza Siamese AW HS-SFE ? Came down near Ayudhya in a violent storm en route from Tak to Bangkok.