Thai Gripen Crash- Hat Yai

[MRTT]

A RTAF JAS-39C Gripen has crashed during a performance at the 'Children's Day' in Hat Yai, the pilot was killed.

[bobthehandyman]

Always sad to see a pilot losing their life, rip.
https://youtu.be/Q7u4cJLN-Xg

[H.A.Bucken]

J.C., what happened there? Something loose in the cockpit- wasn't a twinstick with the second man not strapped in? Shades of that Douglas A-26 at Biggin Hill and the Turbo Mentor at an Airfete years ago. Very sad.
Roger

[paddyboy]

So sad

Blue skies

[jem60]

As someone has already speculated [I was told that was wrong!!!], I will simply say that a Gripen has been lost with an FBW software failure in the past.
From a piloting point of view, there was masses of energy, no reason for the nose to drop, and definitely not a case of a half roll and pull through. Looking from the outside, I wouldn't see this one as a pilot error. Sad, of course. Invader and Turbo-mentor were both pilot error. At the Mildenhall one, I said to my friend 'I bet the guy in the back is having kittens here' Ten seconds later both were dead.Apparently this is the first loss of life with a Gripen in 30 years of the type.

[Gary]

As per all crashes the FC staff requesting people don't speculate about what happened

[jem60]

Gary. I understand your concerns re crashes, especially close to home, and to personnel that may be known to some of us.
Most people on this site are photographers, [I'm not], but some of us [including me] are current, or ex-fliers. Flight safety is always of great interest to anyone who pilots anything, and as such, is relevant to us. Photographers can talk about this and that picture, SPECULATE about what setting to use, but ex fliers, or people with some knowledge about what goes on with aircraft and procedures etc., are not allowed to say anything about it, despite flight safety being a passion. Free speech and all that?. As I say in my first line, I do agree, but this accident was some 6,000 miles away, and in very interesting circumstances, and I very much doubt if anyone would be upset by possibly seeing speculation on this site.
In my opinion, perhaps we need to be a bit more selective, rather than draconian?. Regards John. [Not really miffed, but slightly frustrated by the clamping.]

[MRTT]

Not a dig at you directly John, but when an accident has occurred and someone has died, I find it disrespectful to speculate. Just my opinion.

[jem60]

Yet on a certain Professional Pilot Site, speculation is rife!, including this accident.. Those who fly can all learn from the mistakes, or failures technical or otherwise, and therefore speculation is considered useful. How much time must elapse before speculation is considered not to be disrespectful? I month, two months, two years.? Everyone is, of course entitled to an opinion. I feel, of course for everyone involved, and, like Paddy, have a history of seeing people die in flying accidents going back many years, and I don't feel that it is disrespectful do discuss, and perhaps, learn from it. Believe me. I have no desire to be disrespectful to anyone, and don't feel that I have ever been so.

[jem60]

Hi, MRTT. Ta for PM. Appreciated. Always seem to have finger trouble when replying tho' hence this post. Not a professional. Private only, tho' am allowed on THAT site. Regards, John. No offence was taken. Love Sunday discussions.

[Tally-ho]

We live in a world of instant and immediate news. Digital media is a fact of life, with that comes instantaneous reporting, opinions, comments, lies and truths, even fake news and b......t. Our community here on FC must accept that in order to stay relevant. If we don't people will go elsewhere.

Speculation is part of life in 2017 and will remain with us. You the reader must decide what you read and what you ignore.

[Supra]

Incapacitation! Either of the aircraft controls or the pilot? Not speculating, merely an observation.
Why else would full throttle to point of explosion be audible on the soundtrack. Given that the preceding manoeuvre was fairly low-energy for a fighter-pilot, I wonder what happened?

[tonkatom]

Our interest is not to speculate but to give condolences and share the news,once the full report is out from the airforce,then we can talk about how it happened.

[gamecock]

I agree with Tally-ho - I've got no issues with speculation as long as the crew's names and aircraft IDs aren't involved. It's perfectly normal and in most cases (particularly overseas incidents) completely harmless.

[StevenNFFC]

Of course there are a lot of different opinions regarding speculating causes for aircraft accidents and that is a good thing - this is a forum of course.

A problem that does arise - not so much in this case because the accident occurred in Asia - is that here on Fighter Control we are plagued by some 'members' who are in fact members of the press looking to glean any information they can and post it on their news website etc etc.

For example, if this have been an RAF Typhoon crash in the UK and member Joe Bloggs says "I'm a pilot and I believe this crash was caused by this, this and this", lo and behold you'll find an 'aviation expert' that no one knows being interviewed on Sky News saying exactly the things Joe Bloggs posted in here and reporting them as facts - despite it being purely speculation posted on here.

This is not an exaggeration and does happen.

[jem60]

Tonkatom. My interest is to give condolences AND speculate!. When do you think that report will come out [if ever].? I am 74 now, and I may be dead by the time it comes out.!!! The speculation on here is harmless, and, I do agree with some of the things Steve says, but in the end, the true facts will emerge, and if what comes out in the meantime are suspect facts, then surely we can have some sensible discussion about them!!.

[plmc135]

The fact that this accident occurred in Thailand is immaterial. The Gripen is a European built aircraft and a type that visits the UK on occasion and particularly at airshows, at one of which the unfortunate accident occurred.

There should be no need for speculation, a pilot has lost his life and any accident report will in due course hopefully detail what happened. Let us move on.

[jem60]

PLMC. Got the answer!. Let the ones who like to speculate about these things do so, and the ones that don't like to speculate can abstain from doing so. Suits both parties, doesn't it.

[StevenNFFC]

The fact that this accident occurred in Thailand is immaterial.

It is pertinent that the accident happened in Thailand because none of the press lurkers on this forum are interested in a foreign built, foreign operated jet crashing - but they would be extremely interested if it was in the UK.

[Vulcanone]

Perhaps its time to lock this as some of us know people that work for the company that built the aircraft and tire of some on the other side of the world who instantly know what caused the crash.



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