No fatalities

Cessna 172P Missing After Reporting Instrument Failures Found Three Years Later

Khaoyai National Park, Thailand, Thailand

On August 9, 2009, a CESSNA 172P was involved in an aviation accident near Khaoyai National Park, Thailand, Thailand. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

On August 9, 2009, a Cessna 172P (HS-BAE) on a training flight from Nakhon Ratchasrima to Donmuang Airport lost radar contact after the pilot reported ADI and CDI failures. The wreckage was discovered in Khaoyai National Park on November 11, 2012.

Accident Details

On August 9, 2009, a Cessna 172P aircraft, registered HS-BAE, was conducting a route training flight from Nakhon Ratchasrima Airport to Donmuang International Airport (Bangkok, Thailand). The flight was crewed by two student pilots. At 03:36 UTC, the pilot contacted air traffic control and reported that the Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) and the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) were inoperative. Two minutes later, at 03:38 UTC, radar contact was lost with the aircraft at an altitude of 2,300 feet. The aircraft subsequently collided with mountainous terrain in Khaoyai National Park.

Wreckage Discovery

The wreckage of HS-BAE was located on November 11, 2012, at coordinates 14°31´47.93"N 101°10´43.32"E (WGS84), or UTM 0734687 1607617. The aircraft had been missing for over three years.

Weather Conditions

The weather at 04:00 UTC on the day of the accident was reported as: TAF VTUQ 090400Z 090606 24005KT 9999 BKN023 TEMPO 1014 VRB10KT 5000 TSRA FEW018CB BKN020 OVC100.

Investigation

The Thailand Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC) is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the airplane, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on Civil Aviation to assist Thai authorities in their investigation.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 9 Aug 2009 CESSNA 172P accident near Khaoyai National Park, Thailand, Thailand?

On August 9, 2009, a Cessna 172P (HS-BAE) on a training flight from Nakhon Ratchasrima to Donmuang Airport lost radar contact after the pilot reported ADI and CDI failures. The wreckage was discovered in Khaoyai National Park on November 11, 2012.

Were there any fatalities in the 9 Aug 2009 CESSNA 172P accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 9 Aug 2009 involved a CESSNA 172P, at Khaoyai National Park, Thailand, Thailand.