Thai helicopter crashes in Songkhla

A Thai army helicopter, carrying two pilots and a mechanic, crashed Monday morning in the southern province of Songkhla. All on board survived the crash, suffering only minor injuries.

The Bell 206 Jetranger helicopter of the Pattani-based army special unit crashed at a paddy field in Hat Yai district. Maj Thanapat Wongsungyang, the pilot and Capt Thawin Mawan, the co-pilot and Sgt Banyat Yokkornburi, a mechanic, left the army camp in Hat Yai at 7.30 am. The pilot said the engine suddenly went dead and the craft fell to earth while it was flying over farmland in Kutao sub-district. The cause of the accident is not yet known, but an investigation will be carried out.

(MCOT)