4 fatalities

Airplane Crashes Short of Runway After Low Pass and Navigation Error (HS-TDH)

Chiang Mai, ThailandLanding (descent or approach)

On December 27, 1967, a Douglas DC-3 (registration HS-TDH) operated by Thai Airways International was involved in an aviation accident near Chiang Mai, Thailand during landing or approach. 4 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered HS-TDH
Aircraft registered HS-TDH. Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

During approach in fog, the pilot abandoned landing for a low pass. Later cleared to runway 18, he misidentified a road reference. On final, the airplane banked left, its left engine struck the ground, and it crashed 200 meters short of the runway, killing four passengers.

Approach and Low Pass

On approach to runway 36, the pilot-in-command (PIC) was hindered by insufficient visibility due to fog. He decided to abandon the landing and executed a low pass over the airport.

Navigation Error

Minutes later, the PIC was cleared to make an approach to runway 18. He decided to use three roads as visual references but mistakenly referred to the wrong road.

Unstable Approach and Crash

On final approach, the airplane became unstable and banked left. The left engine struck the ground, and the airplane crashed 200 meters short of the runway threshold, coming to rest. Four passengers were killed.