Authorities are rushing to secure the area to investigate the cause of a small plane crash in Bang Lamung, Chonburi Province. Locals were shocked and recounted that moments before the crash, they heard a sound like the plane's engine cutting out mid-air before it plunged and struck a wall.
At 11:30 a.m. on 13 October 2026, the radio center of the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation rescue unit in Pattaya received a report of a small plane crash with injuries near the Burapha-tit small airport within Soi Thung Klom-Tanman 15, Moo 8, Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. Upon receiving the alert, rescue volunteers promptly dispatched to the scene and coordinated with officers from Nong Prue Police Station to assist with the investigation.
Upon arrival at the scene, which was a grass field adjacent to a concrete mill about 100 meters from the end of the small airport's runway, initial inspection found the wreckage of a blue and white single-engine, two-seat small plane, registration HF-FPD. The plane had crashed into the wall of a scrap yard, causing severe damage. The smell of fuel permeated the area, and the scrap yard's wall and roof were also damaged.
Also found at the scene was the pilot, seriously injured. He was identified as Mr. Martin Huber, 32, a Thai-German dual national. He suffered a broken upper left arm and large facial lacerations. The rescue team provided first aid before transporting him to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Mr. Phajon Ua-nguan, 51, a local resident who witnessed the event, said that before the crash, he was standing washing dishes behind his house when he saw the plane losing control, appearing as if the engine had failed.
The plane then attempted to glide back to land, but ultimately lost control and nosedived violently into the ground, causing a loud crash. He ran out to assist the pilot. He added that he has lived in the neighborhood for over five years and had never witnessed such an incident before.
Mr. Chumphon Maneechot, 42, owner of the scrap plastic bag yard damaged by the crash, stated that he was sitting in the back of his truck when he suddenly heard a sound like the plane's engine failing mid-air before it crashed heavily into his yard's wall. Fortunately, the plane did not strike his house's roof, but broken tree branches hit and damaged the house. He said he had never experienced such an event before, only hearing about a similar incident about 10 years ago until it happened again now.
Group Captain Pornchai Boonmuang, an official from the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIB), said that initially they have secured the area to protect the aircraft. The cause of the crash requires a full investigation involving senior officials and aviation engineers who will examine the site and interview the pilot to determine the reason for the small plane's crash.