It was also reported that the people on board were employees of Rabbit Wings Airways, not charter customers.

The pilot was killed in the crash and three others – a co-pilot, machinist and company employee – were injured. A woman living in Nong Chok district was also slightly injured.

Metropolitan Police Area 3 deputy commander Pol Colonel Kitpat Pengrung, DCA committee head Veena Nusadin and Rabbit Wings personnel inspected the crash site in Lam Phak Chee sub-district yesterday.

Veena said the aircraft did not have a black box so the team had to measure features at the scene such as the height of tree branches that were hit by the plane’s wings. They also checked the 10-year-old Piper Chieftain HS-FGB aircraft’s engine to determine the cause of the crash.

Kitpat said the data would be analysed and police had not decided to press charges against anyone pending more interviews with the injured people.

The police investigation initially found that the pilot radioed to ask to make an emergency landing for an unknown reason, he said.

Rabbit Wings officials said the firm would join the DCA probe and assist relatives of the deceased pilot and the injured as provided for by their insurance policy.

Meanwhile, grief-stricken relatives yesterday collected the body of pilot Sirawuth Tiewprasert from the Police General Hospital morgue to take it to a religious ceremony in his hometown in Chiang Mai province. The head of the hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, Pol Maj-General Dr Pornchai Sutheerakun, said Sirawuth died from the impact of the crash, which broke his ribs and ruptured organs in his chest.

Nong Chok resident Prapin Prempri, 49, who sustained a leg wound that required six stitches in a fall as the aircraft crashed metres away from her, said the company’s lawyer had contacted her on Monday night and offered to cover her medical bill. She said the lawyer told her the pilot sought to make an emergency landing because “the engine lost power”, but he did not elaborate.

 

The bodies of the three crew-members were found yesterday amid the wreckage of an old Air Force UH-1H Huey about 500 metres north of an Air Force radar station on the mountain slope in Chanthaburi. The bodies were retrieved from the crash site and transported by aircraft to Don Mueang Airport for funerals.

The three crewmembers were Squadron Leader Pasit Techasen, Flight Lt Alongkorn Chankrachan and Flight Sgt 1st Class Visut Putthraksa. There were all rewarded with promotions, insignia and compensation for their families.

Heads of the Army and Air Force sent their condolences to families of the officers killed in the crash.

General Prawit Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, expressed his sympathy to families of the crew and said the Air Force had plan to buy new helicopters to replace the old ones.

“The helicopter that crashed was a UH-1H Huey, which we have used for around 40 years but given the long period on duty, there must be replacements for our air squadron,” Prawit said.

So, he said the Army would put this plan to Cabinet, before a deal can start, the plan must pass consideration first.

“There are always protests about corruption, every time the Army plans to buy weapons. Indeed, when we purchase new arms, we do it on state-to-state trade and there is no corruption in our arm dealing process,” he ensured.

Directorate of Air Operations Control commander ACM Sutthipong Inseeyong said the search teams had found the remains of two helicopter pilots and one mechanic, along with the helicopter debris in the middle of dense forest 500 metres north the Air Force radar station.

Sutthipong said the area had been sealed off and the bodies were carried down the mountain and transferred to Don Mueang by air.

Royal Thai Air Force spokesperson Phongsak Semachai said the Air Force would host funerals for all three men. With the loss of these valuable men, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Alongkorn Chankrachang had expressed condolences to their families. He would promote them, and compensate their families.

Squadron Leader Pasit would be made an Air Marshall and his family would receive Bt3 million in compensation. Flight Lt Alongkorn would be made a Group Captain and his family will receive Bt2.5 million. Flight Sgt 1st Class Visut would be made an Air Vice Marshall and his family will get Bt2.76 million. They will also get an insignia to honour their death on duty.

The crash happened on Saturday afternoon, when the helicopter disappeared from radar screens during a supply mission. Rough terrain and heavy rain had slowed the search mission until yesterday morning.

 

Deputy police spokesman Colonel Krisana Patthanacharoen reported Jenpop’s pleas, citing the defendant’s lawyer. Krisana also said that test results to determine whether Jenpop, 37, had been driving under the influence of drugs would be available today.

The investigators’ initial report indicated that Jenpop might have been driving while under the influence, contributing to the accident that killed postgraduate students Thantapat Horsaengchai and Krissana Thaworn.

The Phra In Racha police superintendent has been transferred from his post for 15 days to allow newly assigned investigators to take over the case, Krisana said, adding that police would investigate and prosecute any culprit involved.

Addressing rumours that Jenpop may have a bipolar disorder that had a bearing on the case, Krisana said he could not confirm that or give details about medication found in the suspect’s car until there had been a doctor’s examination.

Attorney-General Pol Sub-Lieutenant Pongniwat Yuthaphanboriparn said he would assign the chief officer of the Regional Office of State Attorney Region 1 to take charge of the case after police handed it off to his office.

Pongniwat added that progress in another case, in which Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya is accused of killing Pol Snr Sgt-Major Wichean Klinprasert in a hit-and-run accident in September 2012, was ongoing and that prosecutors required police to investigate to clarity certain points.

A source said Vorayuth initially had faced three charges of reckless driving resulting in death and property damage, failing to stop and aid a victim, and speeding. The last charge has been dropped because the statute of limitations expired in 2013.