The Chief District Officer of Chae Hom visited the family of Flight Lieutenant Korawit Jenkid, who died in the AT-6TH attack aircraft crash. The uncle expressed sorrow, saying that before the flight, his nephew had just called his father, but contact was lost until the family saw the news.
At 10:20 on 29 Jan 2026, an AT-6TH attack aircraft from Squadron 411, Wing 41, crashed during a combat search and rescue training mission in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province (direction 210 degrees, 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai Airport). The crash resulted in the deaths of two pilots: Squadron Leader Samatcha Khunmat, the lead pilot and flight instructor, and Flight Lieutenant Korawit Jenkid, the second pilot.
At 14:43, officials successfully recovered the bodies of the two deceased pilots from the crash site. The remains were placed in two vans and taken to Wing 41 Hospital for identification and autopsy according to Air Force regulations.
As the pilots' bodies were removed, local villagers who had heard the news brought Thai national flags to stand in tribute, expressing condolences for the loss. They thanked the pilots for managing to steer the aircraft away from residential areas and extended sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy.
At 19:00 on 29 Jan 2026, Mr. Wiwat Inthaithiwong, Governor of Lampang Province, assigned Mr. Eksak Boonpa, Chief District Officer of Chae Hom, to convey condolences to the family of Flight Lieutenant Korawit Jenkid, a resident of Village 4, Wichitnakorn Subdistrict, Chae Hom District, Lampang Province, to offer sympathy and support.
Mr. Wichit Kunaphan, aged 69, uncle of Flight Lieutenant Korawit, showed reporters photographs of his nephew from his student days, revealing that he was a cadet in Class 57 and graduated from the Bodai Self-Defense College in Japan.
He also told reporters that the family traveled to Bangkok the previous evening with military officials, flying out from Chiang Mai to attend the funeral rites in Bangkok.
He added that Flight Lieutenant Korawit loved flying and that his older brother was also a pilot. He had watched him grow up and become a pilot just like his brother.
On the morning of the accident, Korawit had just called his father, saying he was about to take off. After that, there was no contact. Around 11:00, the squadron commander called to inform them that their nephew had died. The family was shocked after seeing the accident news at around 10:30 and tried repeatedly to reach him until they saw his name reported in the news.