What happened
On the approach to Phuket VOR/DME, two aircraft were operating in close proximity. Dragon Air Flight 203, a Boeing 737 with registration VR-HYL, was approaching on radial 090. At approximately 08:34 UTC, the crew of the Dragon Air flight reported seeing Thai Airways Flight 365 ahead of them at an altitude of 2500 feet. The Thai aircraft was positioned 13 miles from the Phuket VOR/DME at 3000 feet.
In an effort to secure landing priority, the crew of the Thai Airways flight reported they were at 8 DME and requested a visual approach, despite not yet having reached that position. This request led Phuket Approach to grant the Thai aircraft priority for landing at 08:35 UTC. The Dragon Air crew, operating under IFR, alerted the Thai crew that they could not descend through their current flight level.
During this period of high workload and focus on traffic separation, the speed of the Thai Airways aircraft decreased to 163 knots, triggering the stick shaker. In response, the pilot increased engine power and retracted the landing gear. However, the aircraft entered a stall and crashed into the sea, breaking up upon impact. The accident resulted in 83 fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot's focus on securing the first position in the landing sequence led to a loss of airspeed. As the crew attempted to manage the conflict with the preceding aircraft, the speed decayed until the stall warning activated. The subsequent attempt to recover by applying power and raising the gear was not completed before the aircraft struck the water.