태국 경찰 소속 트윈 오터 1기가 정비 후 비행 중 추락해 6명 사망

[위종민]

4월 25일 태국 경찰 소속 DHC-6-400 트윈 오터가 페차부리 주 차암의 후아힌 공항에서 정비 후 시험비행 도중 이륙 직후 100m 떨어진 바다에 기수부터 추락해 조종사 3명, 정비사 2명, 항공 엔지니어 1명 등   6명의 탑승자 전원이 사망했네요. 사고기체는 2020년 도입한 기령 5.9년의 신형기였네요. 

삼가 고인의 명복을 빕니다 

태국 경찰 항공대 트윈 오터 추락…정비 후 시험비행 중 6명 전원 사망

2025년 4월 25일, 태국 왕립 경찰 항공대 소속 DHC-6-400 트윈 오터 항공기가 정비 후 시험비행 중 추락해 탑승하고 있던 경찰관 6명 전원이 사망했습니다. 항공기는 페차부리 주 차암 지역의 후아힌 공항(HHQ)에서 이륙한 직후 해안에서 약 100미터 떨어진 바다에 기수부터 추락했으며, 사고 당시 기체는 오른쪽 엔진 고장을 겪은 것으로 알려졌습니다.

사고기는 정비를 마친 후 낙하산 훈련 준비를 위한 시험비행 중이었으며, 탑승자는 조종사 3명, 정비사 2명, 항공 엔지니어 1명이었습니다. 현장에서는 5명이 즉사했고, 생존자 1명은 병원으로 이송되었으나 끝내 사망했습니다.

초기 조사 결과, 조종사들은 인근 주택가로 향할 뻔한 항공기를 마지막 순간 바다 쪽으로 유도해 추가 피해를 막은 것으로 밝혀졌습니다. 사고 순간을 촬영한 영상에는 이륙 직후 고도를 올리던 항공기가 급격히 기수를 숙이고 수직으로 바다에 추락하는 장면이 포착되었습니다.

추락한 항공기는 태국 경찰이 2020년에 도입한 3대의 트윈 오터 중 하나로, 사고 원인에 대한 공식 조사가 현재 진행 중입니다. 아직 블랙박스 장착 여부는 확인되지 않았습니다.

Six dead as Royal Thai Police Twin Otter crashes

Six dead as Royal Thai Police Twin Otter crashes

Royal Thai Police Twin Otter crashes on post-maintenance test flight killing six

ByLuke Peters

Edited ByEmma Yates-Badley

April 28, 2025, 14:17 (UTC +3)

Aviation Safety

Alec Wilson / Wikimedia Commons

A Royal Thai Police Wing Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter crashed into the sea nose-first shortly after taking off on a post-maintenance test flight. All six police officers onboard the aircraft died as the aircraft crashed not far from the shoreline in the coastal town of Hua Hin, where the plane had taken off from the local airport.

The accident happened on April 25, 2025, as the Twin Otter (with registration 36964) fell into the sea. The aircraft had just departed from Hua Hin Airport (HHQ) in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, for a test flight with three pilots, two mechanics, and an aircraft engineer on board. According to local reports, the aircraft’s right-hand engine failed, and the aircraft spun nose down into the sea and broke in two in shallow water. All six members died on impact, and the aircraft was destroyed.  

Royal Thai Police Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter crashes into the sea shortly after takeoff from Hua Hin Airport in Thailand.

All six occupants sustained fatal injuries in the accident.

Pol Lt Gen Archayon Kraithong, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said the incident happened… pic.twitter.com/dcp4gY2Nre

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 25, 2025

The small plane was observed crashing into the water at around 08:15 local time on April 25, 2025, around 100 meters (330ft) off the beach at the Baby Grand Hotel in Hua Hin, located some 80 miles (130km) southwest of Bangkok. Local media footage shared online showed people wading into the sea to reach the crash site.

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The Royal Thai Police said in a statement on Facebook that five of the officers died at the scene, with a sixth later dying in the local hospital. It remains unclear whether the aircraft had a black box fitted, although an investigation is already underway to determine the cause of the crash.

“The Royal Thai Police express their deepest condolences to the brave officers who lost their lives,” a statement added. Local Police Chief Kitrat Phanphet, who visited the scene alongside other officials, said initial investigations showed the plane was heading towards houses but its pilots managed to manoeuvre it towards the sea, avoiding any further fatalities.

#Breaking Royal Thai Police Aircraft Crashes Off Hua Hin, Killing 5 of The 6 Aboard

HUA HIN, Thailand
A Royal Thai Police Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter crashed into shallow waters off the coast of Hua Hin shortly after takeoff from Hua Hin Airport on Friday, killing 5 of the 6… pic.twitter.com/L6ndV972dx

— SLCScanner (@SLCScanner) April 25, 2025

Photographs from the scene published online showed the plane wreckage lying part-submerged in shallow water, with the various main sections in several pieces. The aircraft was on a test flight in preparation for a parachute training drill later that day in Hua Hin, said Pol Lt Gen Archayon Kraithong, a spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police.

After visiting the crash site, the Thai National Police chief visited the sixth crew member in the hospital, who later succumbed to his injuries. The plane, one of three Twin Otters acquired by the Royal Thai Police in 2020, had recently undergone maintenance, according to local media reports.

An initial investigation showed that the aircraft lost stability shortly after leaving the runway. Video taken from shore showed the plane ascending and then going into a vertical nosedive. Despite pilots’ attempts to regain control, it plunged into the sea, with the fuselage appearing to break in two upon impact.

36980 Royal Thai Police Aviation Division Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter

[백선호]

몰디브에서 좀 먼 섬으로 갈 때 쓰인 비행기가 이 DHC-6에 float 붙인 것이었는데... ㅠ.ㅠ