Army chopper crashes in Thai Far South, all crew safe

NARATHIWAT, THAILAND, September 16 (TNA) - An army Huey helicopter crashed in the Thai Far South on Friday morning, but all crew members aboard were safe. Royal Thai Army Spokesman Colonel winthai suvaree told journalists that the incident took place at the special task force unit in Narathiwat Province in the Thai Deep South at around 8:30am. According to the spokesman, the hydraulic system of the army chopper broke down and the pilot could not, thus, control the helicopter, causing it to spiral and heavily crash onto the ground and caught fire. The spokesman stated that all four crew members aboard could timely escape from the crash safely with only minor injuries. The spokesman said the army helicopter, leaving from the Taksin Ratchaniwet Palace in Narathiwat, was about to pick up Major General Ekarat Changkaew, Commander of the Narathiwat special task force unit, and Colonel Pasit Charnlekha, Commander of the 46th Paramilitary Ranger Regiment, for an inspection trip to Chanae District, but the chopper encountered the problem. (TNA)