CHIANG MAI, July 12 (TNA) –
Royal Thai Air Force officers have retrieved a ‘black box’ recorder of
the training jet that crashed in Chiang Mai on Thursday to determine the cause
of the tragic accident.
An Aero L-39 Albatros crashed during a training flight in
Sarapi district around 4 pm on Thursday killing a military pilot. The other pilot activated emergency ejection
in time and survived.
Family members of the deceased pilot Squadron Leader
Naruephol Lertkuson, 34, performed a religious ritual at the crash site on
Friday. One of his siblings said they
were proud of him for sacrificing his life. 
“It is a great loss to the family,” he said.
The pilot who was the instructor reportedly let the trainee,
Flying Officer Theerawat Khoonkhunthod, to eject from the aircraft before he
controlled the ill-fated aircraft away from residential area.
He apparently activated the emergency ejection too late as
the parachute stuck with the aircraft when it crashed.
The Czech-built L-39 was on the way back to the airfield of
Wing 41 air base after the training flight.
Royal Thai Air Force spokesperson Air Marshal Phongsak
Semachai has suggested that the aircraft malfunctioned mid-flight.
Air Force officials have collected evidence including the
black box to investigate the cause of the fatal accident.
A dashboard camera captured the moment the aircraft
maneuvering at a low altitude before crashing.(TNA)
