A Thai air Force AT-6TH training aircraft crashed Tuesday in Chiang Mai province,resulting in the deaths of both crew members,officials have confirmed. Flight Lieutenant Samatcha Khunmas and Flying Officer Korawit Jenkid were conducting a Combat Search and Rescue training exercise when the aircraft went down, highlighting the inherent dangers of military aviation. The incident prompted an outpouring of grief from local residents and swift response from military officials,who are now focused on supporting the families of the fallen airmen.
A Thai Air Force pilot and his flight instructor were killed Tuesday, January 29th, when their AT-6TH training aircraft crashed during a search and rescue exercise, officials said. The incident underscores the risks inherent in military training operations.
The crash occurred around 10:20 a.m. local time in the Jom Thong district of Chiang Mai province, approximately 37 miles from Chiang Mai Airport, according to a statement from the Royal Thai Air Force. The aircraft, belonging to the 411th Squadron of the 41st Air Wing, was conducting a Combat Search and Rescue training mission when it went down.
The victims were identified as Flight Lieutenant Samatcha Khunmas, the flight instructor, and Flying Officer Korawit Jenkid, the pilot. Recovery crews successfully retrieved the bodies from the wreckage around 2:43 p.m. and transported them to the 41st Air Wing Hospital for identification and autopsy, as per standard military protocol.
Local residents gathered at the crash site, offering silent tributes with Thai flags and expressing gratitude for the pilots’ efforts to avoid populated areas. They extended condolences to the families of the fallen airmen.
On Tuesday evening, January 29th, Lampang Province Governor Wivat Inthaiwong dispatched Jaem Hom District Officer Eaksak Boonpa to express condolences to the family of Flying Officer Korawit Jenkid, a native of Jaem Hom district.
Speaking with reporters, 69-year-old Wichit Khunaphan, an uncle of Flying Officer Jenkid, shared that the family had traveled to Bangkok with military officials following the news. He showed photographs of his nephew from his time as a student at the Preparatory Military Academy, Class 57, and as a graduate of the Bodhidharma Defense College in Japan.
“Korawit always wanted to be a pilot,” Khunaphan said. “His older brother is also a pilot. I’ve watched him since he was little, pursuing his dream.”
Khunaphan recounted that his nephew called his father earlier Tuesday morning to say he was about to begin his flight. Contact was then lost, and the family received notification of the crash around 11:00 a.m. from the flight commander. They had been trying to reach him ever since seeing initial reports of the accident around 10:30 a.m.
