Gripen air show accident caused by spatial disorientation

BANGKOK, Jan 11 (TNA) – The Royal Thai Airforce (RTAF) concludes that the Gripen jet fighter creash during an air show on National Children’s Day last year was caused by spatial disorientation, which is a common cause of aircraft accident and can occur to all pilots. Air force spokesman AM Pongsak Semachai today disclosed the result of the probe over the air crash at the air show at Wing 56 in Hat Yai on Jan 14 last year. The pilot was killed in the incident. The spokesman said the RTAF gathered evidence and analyzed related information in details under the international standard. Experts from the RTAF, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish aerospace company Saab worked together to examine the case under the joint agreement. The investigation found that the jet fighter has no problem and the pilot was well-trained. The crash was blamed on spatial disorientation that can happen even to well-trained pilots. Spatial disorientation is the inability of a pilot to correctly interpret aircraft attitude, altitude or airspeed in relation to the Earth or other points of reference. It is a common cause of aviation accidents. He said the accident will be the case study for the air force’s risk management in aviation in the future. (TNA)