The crash of an F-5 Tiger II fighter of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) may have occurred due to a collision with a bird, the so-called bird strike. So says Air Force Spokesperson, Air Deputy Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee.
O accident happened last friday (03) in the Province of Lop Buri, central region of the country. The fighter, a two-seat F-5THF Tiger II, was on a tactical training flight at Chai Badan Range.
According to Marshal Prapas, the pilot of the aircraft, Wing Commander Suthimet Ouamdee, told his wife that he ejected after hitting a hard object that shattered the windshield of the F-5, spraying blood all over the cockpit and making it impossible for him to control the plane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyoGbq0k9-4
Prapas explained that the jet was flying at an estimated speed of 1.000 km/h. With the windshield destroyed and debris flying across the cabin, it became impossible to save the plane. Ouamdee was seriously injured in the ejection, suffering broken arms and legs.
He added, however, that RTAF investigators would continue to look into the cause of the crash. The jet was participating in the annual live-action competition when the accident occurred.
The lost fighter, registration 21105, belonged to the 211 Hawk Squadron and was the first modernized in the Super Tigris Program.
With Thailand PBS World
