BANGKOK: A plane skidded off the runway and crashed into an air traffic control tower after landing on the Thai resort island of Samui, killing the chief pilot and injuring at least seven people on board, officials say.
The co-pilot and six others were injured after the Bangkok Airways flight landed in stormy weather yesterday and hit the airport’s old tower, said Kanikka Kemawutanond, director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation.
Police said the front of the aircraft, where the pilot was, suffered the worst damage. The co-pilot, who was stuck in the aircraft, was among the last to be evacuated.
The managing director of Bangkok Airways, Puttipong Prasartthong-Osoth, said the foreign passengers included nationals of Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany and Britain. He said two Britons, one Italian and one Swiss suffered broken legs, while two other Britons suffered less severe injuries. The co-pilot also had leg injuries. There were no reports of Australians on board.
