A Royal Thai Police aircraft registered 36964 crashed into the Gulf of Thailand near Hua Hin on Friday morning, killing all six officers onboard. The Viking DHC-6-400 Twin Otter had just taken off for a test flight after maintenance and was preparing for a parachute training exercise.
The plane nosedived into the sea roughly 100 metres offshore from the Baby Grand Hua Hin Hotel. Five officers died at the scene, while a sixth succumbed to injuries in hospital later that day.
Footage showed the aircraft losing stability shortly after takeoff before plunging vertically into the water and breaking apart on impact. An investigation is ongoing.
#BREAKING ??At least five people were killed when a police plane crash-landed in the sea off Thailand. The aircraft, a Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter, was on a test flight for parachute training when it nosedived into the water near Hua Hin, about 300 feet from shore.
Only one person… pic.twitter.com/tD9Zfoq6J3
— ???? PhoenixCNE News (@PhoenixCNE_News) April 25, 2025