Pilot Error, Bad Weather to Blame for Thai Airways Crash by Phairath Khampha 16 May 2001 Trim, engines were all working properly Bad weather and human error have been ruled as the cause of the 1998 crash of a Thai Airways Airbus in Surat Thani, the official investigation panel said on May 3, 2001. The crash on December 11, 1998, which claimed 101 lives was caused by a combination of the two factors, said ACM Kongsak Wanthana, head of the investigation team. It was likely the pilot suffered from vertigo resulting from repeated attempts to land the Airbus 310-200. The pilot might have lost track of the real position of the plane after two unsuccessful landings and crashed on the third. ACM Kongsak, the air force chief-of-staff, said the accident occurred after the aircraft was forced to shift position abruptly in stormy weather. The plane's nose had pitched up sharply, apparently when the pilot experienced vertigo. The trim system and aircraft engines were functioning normally, as confirmed by an examination of the data recording boxes, he said. The panel's representative from Thai Airways International defended the pilots, however, saying they were trained to cope with and counter vertigo. The panel discounted the theory of a malfunction in the airport navigation equipment. The Aviation Department insisted every navigational device was working properly. The panel was in the middle of finalising the investigation report. Copies would be forwarded to THAI, the Airbus manufacturer, and all relevant agencies and authorities in countries whose nationals had perished in the crash. If no agency objected to the findings, the report would be considered complete and the case closed. If any objection was raised, the panel would review its investigation, he said. Uno traces of explosives were found in the wreckage of the Thai Airways Boeing 737 which exploded at Don Muang airport on March 3, according to the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investigation which conducted an examination of the debris. Thai investigators earlier ruled it an act of sabotage saying they found traces of RDX, a component of C4 plastic explosive, in the wreckage. The NTSB and the FBI have informally notified the technical team probing the explosion that the third chunk of wreckage sent to them for checking tested negative for explosives. Two other chunks sent earlier were also identified as explosive-free. ACM Kongsak, who headed the probe team, said the two agencies had informed him verbally of the findings. It was most likely they would attribute the explosion to an accident. A ruling which faults the plane could force Boeing to ground its 737 series planes worldwide. Boeing must agree with the findings, otherwise it could sue for damages.