One-Two-Go Grounded!
Yes - I know the guy. Surprised really that he did it. In CX pilots converting back to the Classic do a full course including groundschool, sim and 12 sectors. Then solo. That's quite a difference.
How is such a lack of qual allowed by our (so called) regulators.
How is such a lack of qual allowed by our (so called) regulators.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Summary of Lax Oversight by the DCA
We've received proof about dangerous and illegal actions at Orient Thai/One-Two-Go.
We've also receive proof, evidence and credible testimony about major failures at SkyStar Airlines and Phuket Air.
If you are interested in a summary of the information provided to the FAA - all known by the DCA - see the InvestigateUdom.com Proof and Evidence page. Look for Sept 15, 2008
We've also receive proof, evidence and credible testimony about major failures at SkyStar Airlines and Phuket Air.
If you are interested in a summary of the information provided to the FAA - all known by the DCA - see the InvestigateUdom.com Proof and Evidence page. Look for Sept 15, 2008
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: My Kitchen...
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From their website, updated on the 12th Sep 08...
"September, 12, 2008
Dear Valued Passengers
Due to the recent uncertainty of Thai political situation, please be informed that One Two Go scheduled services for all domestic destinations will be resumed at later date than originally plan on 15th September, 2008.
Thank you for your kind understanding
Regards,
One-Two-Go Airlines."
Anyone see those MD's moving from VTBD??? They would be needing a few engines if anything is be believed?
"September, 12, 2008
Dear Valued Passengers
Due to the recent uncertainty of Thai political situation, please be informed that One Two Go scheduled services for all domestic destinations will be resumed at later date than originally plan on 15th September, 2008.
Thank you for your kind understanding
Regards,
One-Two-Go Airlines."
Anyone see those MD's moving from VTBD??? They would be needing a few engines if anything is be believed?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pictures of the engine-less airplanes on our petition image site.
Fuel prices, political unrest, bad weather. Udom never takes responsibility.
Fuel prices, political unrest, bad weather. Udom never takes responsibility.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Phuket, Thailand
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thailand's DCA Incapable of Upholding Cat 1 Rating
reprinted from InvestigateUdom.Com
<<<<A Summary of the Information Provided to the FAA on Thai-based Aviation
In our efforts for a proper investigation and accountability into the crash of Orient Thai’s
One-Two–Go OG269, we have received documents, photographs, and crew allegations demonstrating improper behavior of various Thai airlines and of Thailand’s civil aviation
authority, the DCA.
The evidence and allegations make it clear that prior to, during, and after the crash of OG269, the Thai DCA knew or should have known that Thai airlines were continually compromising safety. While much of the evidence suggests outright corruption and incompetence, even taken in the best possible light, DCA oversight of Thai aviation is
inexcusably lax.
Information we received came from pilots and personnel working for Orient Thai Airlines, One-Two-Go Airlines, SkyStar Airways and Phuket Air. The vast majority of this information
was known or could have been easily discovered by the DCA, including:
1. Airlines regularly falsify check rides. In one case, XXX informed DCA Deputy Director-
General Vitichai [sometimes spelled Wittichai] of 4 fraudulent check rides taking place in
December 2007. No action was taken by the DCA upon XXX’s notification. Nor was any
action taken after we made the material public. The DCA finally took some action just
prior to the FAA’s recent visit. No management was every censored.
2. We have very credible testimony from pilots who learn of passing sim checks they have
never taken.
3. We have very credible testimony of pilots who are not qualified for the aircraft they fly.
4. The airlines regularly require their pilots to fly in excess of the maximum legal limits
(110 hours a month in Thailand) and ICAO (100 hours a month) with full knowledge of
the DCA.
In an effort to show oversight in hindsight, the DCA recently ordered the pilots to
produce historic flight summaries for the FAA. Out of fear of being the scapegoats for
the excessive hours, some of the pilots refused to provide such paperwork.
5. The airlines regularly conduct maintenance malpractice.
A. Severe problems that have been “squawked” (made known by the pilots to
maintenance personnel) are often reported by maintenance personnel to have
cleared up or been remedied, only to reappear for the flight crew.
B. Inspections are frequently done on paper only.
C. Heavily documented cases where improper maintenance and illegal flights nearly
lead to catastrophes include:
<<<<A Summary of the Information Provided to the FAA on Thai-based Aviation
In our efforts for a proper investigation and accountability into the crash of Orient Thai’s
One-Two–Go OG269, we have received documents, photographs, and crew allegations demonstrating improper behavior of various Thai airlines and of Thailand’s civil aviation
authority, the DCA.
The evidence and allegations make it clear that prior to, during, and after the crash of OG269, the Thai DCA knew or should have known that Thai airlines were continually compromising safety. While much of the evidence suggests outright corruption and incompetence, even taken in the best possible light, DCA oversight of Thai aviation is
inexcusably lax.
Information we received came from pilots and personnel working for Orient Thai Airlines, One-Two-Go Airlines, SkyStar Airways and Phuket Air. The vast majority of this information
was known or could have been easily discovered by the DCA, including:
1. Airlines regularly falsify check rides. In one case, XXX informed DCA Deputy Director-
General Vitichai [sometimes spelled Wittichai] of 4 fraudulent check rides taking place in
December 2007. No action was taken by the DCA upon XXX’s notification. Nor was any
action taken after we made the material public. The DCA finally took some action just
prior to the FAA’s recent visit. No management was every censored.
2. We have very credible testimony from pilots who learn of passing sim checks they have
never taken.
3. We have very credible testimony of pilots who are not qualified for the aircraft they fly.
4. The airlines regularly require their pilots to fly in excess of the maximum legal limits
(110 hours a month in Thailand) and ICAO (100 hours a month) with full knowledge of
the DCA.
In an effort to show oversight in hindsight, the DCA recently ordered the pilots to
produce historic flight summaries for the FAA. Out of fear of being the scapegoats for
the excessive hours, some of the pilots refused to provide such paperwork.
5. The airlines regularly conduct maintenance malpractice.
A. Severe problems that have been “squawked” (made known by the pilots to
maintenance personnel) are often reported by maintenance personnel to have
cleared up or been remedied, only to reappear for the flight crew.
B. Inspections are frequently done on paper only.
C. Heavily documented cases where improper maintenance and illegal flights nearly
lead to catastrophes include:
•
At Orient Thai, a serious issue with a left engine thrust reverser on a
747 was ignored. One western-trained pilot resigned due to the airline’s
refusal to stop flying the aircraft. The thrust reverser sleeve eventually
separated from the aircraft – in mid air. The aircraft could have lost a
wing but fortunately did not.
refusal to stop flying the aircraft. The thrust reverser sleeve eventually
separated from the aircraft – in mid air. The aircraft could have lost a
wing but fortunately did not.
•
Phuket Air needed to ferry an aircraft from Saudi Arabia to Jakarta for
an engine change. In order to legally fly the aircraft, the engine that
required replacement needed to be deemed serviceable. Papers were
signed and it was suddenly “serviceable”. Unfortunately, the engine
came apart during take-off, dumping engine parts including the entire
turbine for miles. The DCA had just 4 days previously audited Phuket
Air’s maintenance department. [There are publicly available pictures of
the separated turbine resting in the parking lot of a Saudi hotel.]
required replacement needed to be deemed serviceable. Papers were
signed and it was suddenly “serviceable”. Unfortunately, the engine
came apart during take-off, dumping engine parts including the entire
turbine for miles. The DCA had just 4 days previously audited Phuket
Air’s maintenance department. [There are publicly available pictures of
the separated turbine resting in the parking lot of a Saudi hotel.]
•
Three weeks after the first attempt to fly the Phuket Air 747, Phuket Air
violated numerous crew, maintenance and civil regulations and the
terms of their insurance why the flew the 3 engine 747 to Jakarta. Both
flight events were highly public and the sequence of events could not
reasonably have been unknown to the DCA.
6. At the time of the crash of OG269, Orient Thai had no training manuals, no safety
manual and no safety program all of which must be monitored by the DCA.
7. The airlines regularly operate in violation of the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). For
some airlines, the MEL is only a copy of the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL).
Both are gross violations of ICAO standards and very unsafe.
8. At least one airline regularly flies overweight because of an inability of the staff to
properly track and convert weights between metric and English systems.
9. A lack of clear boundaries between the airlines and the DCA both creates opportunities
for corruption and makes it clear that the DCA is aware of Thai airline violations of safe
procedures:
A. The DCA runs a program in which a DCA agent works in the DCA office for 5 days a week and then flies 2 days a week with their assigned airline. The airline pays
the DCA agent’s salary for the days spent at the airline. Besides conflict of
interest based on the payment and responsibilities of the DCA agent, these DCA agents are themselves exceeding duty time by working 7 days a week.
[A few days before the FAA’s recent trip to Thailand, the DCA altered the
program to 1 flying day per week for agents.]
terms of their insurance why the flew the 3 engine 747 to Jakarta. Both
flight events were highly public and the sequence of events could not
reasonably have been unknown to the DCA.
6. At the time of the crash of OG269, Orient Thai had no training manuals, no safety
manual and no safety program all of which must be monitored by the DCA.
7. The airlines regularly operate in violation of the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). For
some airlines, the MEL is only a copy of the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL).
Both are gross violations of ICAO standards and very unsafe.
8. At least one airline regularly flies overweight because of an inability of the staff to
properly track and convert weights between metric and English systems.
9. A lack of clear boundaries between the airlines and the DCA both creates opportunities
for corruption and makes it clear that the DCA is aware of Thai airline violations of safe
procedures:
A. The DCA runs a program in which a DCA agent works in the DCA office for 5 days a week and then flies 2 days a week with their assigned airline. The airline pays
the DCA agent’s salary for the days spent at the airline. Besides conflict of
interest based on the payment and responsibilities of the DCA agent, these DCA agents are themselves exceeding duty time by working 7 days a week.
[A few days before the FAA’s recent trip to Thailand, the DCA altered the
program to 1 flying day per week for agents.]
•
DCA agent Praphon is assigned to Orient Thai’s One-Two-Go fleet. As a working pilot there, Agent Praphon is aware of and complicit in the
airline’s violations of ICAO and legal standards, including fraudulent and
frequently non-existent training and re-currency programs, lack of
required manuals and training program, and excessive flight and duty
hours and maintenance fraud.
1. Proof of these frauds by Orient Thai are publicly available and have
been given to the FAA.
2. Several pilots allege Agent Phraphon regularly extorts Thai First
Officers to pay for prostitutes on the Chaing Mai route.
B. DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai and Orient Thai and One-Two-Go CEO
Udom Tantiprasongchai are “golf buddies”. Their relationship and its particulars
have led to credible allegations that the DCA overlooks Orient Thai and One-Two- Go infractions and that DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai protects Mr.
Tantiprasongchai’s interests. There are credible allegations of bribery, including allegations from witnesses to such bribery.
frequently non-existent training and re-currency programs, lack of
required manuals and training program, and excessive flight and duty
hours and maintenance fraud.
1. Proof of these frauds by Orient Thai are publicly available and have
been given to the FAA.
2. Several pilots allege Agent Phraphon regularly extorts Thai First
Officers to pay for prostitutes on the Chaing Mai route.
B. DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai and Orient Thai and One-Two-Go CEO
Udom Tantiprasongchai are “golf buddies”. Their relationship and its particulars
have led to credible allegations that the DCA overlooks Orient Thai and One-Two- Go infractions and that DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai protects Mr.
Tantiprasongchai’s interests. There are credible allegations of bribery, including allegations from witnesses to such bribery.
•
In one well-known incident, a scheduled 747 flight was delayed by the Flight Engineer because the landing pilot had overheated the brakes.
Rather than tolerate the delay, the pilot physically removed the flight
engineer’s bags from the aircraft and departed – with passengers – but
without the Flight Engineer. The incident was widely known and was
documented by the Flight Engineer. The DCA took no action.
engineer’s bags from the aircraft and departed – with passengers – but
without the Flight Engineer. The incident was widely known and was
documented by the Flight Engineer. The DCA took no action.
•
DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai admitted on camera that Orient
Thai’s One-Two-Go pilots were vastly over hours in the crash of OG269.
He further acknowledged that Orient Thai Airlines had provided crash
investigators, including the NTSB, with fraudulent flight hour
information. However, he never notified the NTSB of the fraud, even
though lead investigator Jill Andrews of the NTSB ghost wrote the crash
investigation report for the DCA.
[In February 2008, we informed Ms. Andrews of the fraud. In May, we
provided her with the true rosters. In June, Ms. Andrews completed the
crash report. The DCA has not released that report.]
He further acknowledged that Orient Thai Airlines had provided crash
investigators, including the NTSB, with fraudulent flight hour
information. However, he never notified the NTSB of the fraud, even
though lead investigator Jill Andrews of the NTSB ghost wrote the crash
investigation report for the DCA.
[In February 2008, we informed Ms. Andrews of the fraud. In May, we
provided her with the true rosters. In June, Ms. Andrews completed the
crash report. The DCA has not released that report.]
•
In February 2008, long after he had the OG269 black box information
and proof of excessive flight hours, knowledge of an improper training
program and lack of a safety program at Orient Thai and One-Two-Go,
DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai told the press, “No punishment will
be imposed on any agency or personnel after completion of the
investigation [into the crash of OG269] because the accident was
beyond control.”
[The immediate cause of the crash was flight crew error during a bad
weather landing. One pilot appears to have been incapacitated and the
other to have panicked. The root causes of the crash are shown here.]
A Category 1/Acceptable rating would require the FAA to conclude that the DCA licenses and oversees air carriers in accordance with ICAO aviation safety standards. It seems reasonable to expect Thailand could only achieve a Category 1/Acceptable rating after:
program and lack of a safety program at Orient Thai and One-Two-Go,
DCA Deputy Director-General Vitichai told the press, “No punishment will
be imposed on any agency or personnel after completion of the
investigation [into the crash of OG269] because the accident was
beyond control.”
[The immediate cause of the crash was flight crew error during a bad
weather landing. One pilot appears to have been incapacitated and the
other to have panicked. The root causes of the crash are shown here.]
A Category 1/Acceptable rating would require the FAA to conclude that the DCA licenses and oversees air carriers in accordance with ICAO aviation safety standards. It seems reasonable to expect Thailand could only achieve a Category 1/Acceptable rating after:
The DCA decertifies every airline that provided it with fraudulent information.
The DCA dismisses every manager and agent who accepted such obviously fraudulent
information.
A newly reconstituted DCA shows an ability and willingness to competently oversee Thai
civil aviation. If the FAA does not find Thailand in compliance with the ICAO standards, then the FAA must
demote Thailand’s ranking to Category 2/Conditional or to Delisted/Unacceptable.
It is difficult to understand how the FAA itself could be performing appropriate oversight and have provisionally concluded that the DCA performs oversight in accordance with ICAO standards.>>>>
demote Thailand’s ranking to Category 2/Conditional or to Delisted/Unacceptable.
It is difficult to understand how the FAA itself could be performing appropriate oversight and have provisionally concluded that the DCA performs oversight in accordance with ICAO standards.>>>>
Last edited by ChristySweet; 17th Sep 2008 at 07:22. Reason: mispell
The Reverend
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
Posts: 2,020
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Christy, I'm not trying to defend Thai Orient, Udom or Thai DCA but lets get the facts straight.
The flight originated in Phuket and it was a L1011 with an ex Cathay flight engineer pilot convert in command. The rest of the story is fact. No action was taken by DCA but the pilot is no longer employed by Thai Orient.
In one well-known incident, a scheduled 747 flight was delayed by the Flight Engineer because the landing pilot had overheated the brakes
Rather than tolerate the delay, the pilot physically removed the flight
engineer’s bags from the aircraft and departed – with passengers – but
without the Flight Engineer. The incident was widely known and was
documented by the Flight Engineer. The DCA took no action.
Rather than tolerate the delay, the pilot physically removed the flight
engineer’s bags from the aircraft and departed – with passengers – but
without the Flight Engineer. The incident was widely known and was
documented by the Flight Engineer. The DCA took no action.
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: france
Age: 50
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Phuket, Thailand
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hot Dog, please...
About the 747/ or 10-11 w/o flight engineer,
...go to InvestigateUdom.com to update that information, perhaps it's a typo.
If you know of this specific instance of safety infraction , please consider every bit of signed testimony helps .
Thank you .
Christy
...go to InvestigateUdom.com to update that information, perhaps it's a typo.
If you know of this specific instance of safety infraction , please consider every bit of signed testimony helps .
Thank you .
Christy
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Nirvana
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OX cargo at Hong Kong
I saw Orient Thai Cargo 747 in HKG three days ago. Does that mean they are still operating or has someone else got hold of these ragged old frames and not changed the colors yet?
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: not a million miles from old BKK
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Others have mentioned an OT aircraft at HKG earlier in this thread. I guess it's possible that one of the OT fleet was out of Thailand when the rest of the fleet was grounded and has remained outside (based in HKG??) to enable it to keep flying. I would think that this would require the cost of several crews stationed at various destinations or some imaginative crew planning to be able to do this with only one aircraft 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: BKK
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The DCA suspended MD80 ops only. 747 are still allowed to operate. Unbelievable, but that's how it is. Wonder if the cheating, ignoring rules, not doing proper maintenance, faking reports etc. only affected MD80s .....
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: bkk
Posts: 285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Told you so.
I am one of the people so prominently mentioned as having "failed" to have passed on safety concerns to the then management of OX.This is complete rubbish and upsets me.The complete opposite is in fact true.You cannot be effective in this situation as an employee if you have an antagonistic approach, you must use persuasion (CRM)......and hope that reason prevails.I did all I could to get them to introduce SMS, QA(OPS), etc etc etc......but was ignored so moved on.Dont shoot the messenger.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Phuket, Thailand
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pirate Pete,
No one is blaming this on employees . This is criminal mismanagement by Udom and until he's at least indicted, you must understand that all the safety infractions need to see the light .
Yes you were ignored now please, come forward and testify at the site ... InvestigateUdom.com
I don't trust Thai DCA to do its job.
Do you??
No one is blaming this on employees . This is criminal mismanagement by Udom and until he's at least indicted, you must understand that all the safety infractions need to see the light .
Yes you were ignored now please, come forward and testify at the site ... InvestigateUdom.com
I don't trust Thai DCA to do its job.
Do you??
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
update
The OT UN video is no longer password protected. (It is still in Thai. See the UN video synopsis, if you don't speak Thai.)
6161 signatures on the Investigate Udom petition. Have you asked your friends, significant others, parents etc to sign? If not yet, please do. We thank you.
More news soon....
6161 signatures on the Investigate Udom petition. Have you asked your friends, significant others, parents etc to sign? If not yet, please do. We thank you.
More news soon....
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From TravelDailyAsia.com
One Two Go to fly again
T
hai low-cost carrier One Two Go Airlines is expected to resume
fl
ights next month after passing safety audits by Thailand’s
Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the Bangkok Post reported.
The airline’s founder, Udom Tantiprasongchai (pictured), confi rmed that
the carrier was close to re-securing its Air Operator Certifi cate, which
has been suspended since August. Meanwhile a senior DCA offi cial said
that One Two Go had only a few points in its fl ight operation manual to
be adjusted, a process which is likely to be completed by 20 October.
Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the Bangkok Post reported.
The airline’s founder, Udom Tantiprasongchai (pictured), confi rmed that
the carrier was close to re-securing its Air Operator Certifi cate, which
has been suspended since August. Meanwhile a senior DCA offi cial said
that One Two Go had only a few points in its fl ight operation manual to
be adjusted, a process which is likely to be completed by 20 October.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has everyone seen this?
It's the order from Orient Thai COO Cho Ting Tsang to the flight scheduler - and copying Udom Tantiprasongchai - giving detailed instructions for the falsification of the flight rosters and requesting falsification of the log books after the crash of OG269 on Sept 16, 2007.
InvestigateUdom.com proof and evidence link Look for Oct 8, 2008 (at the bottom).
Udom is not in jail. Udom continues to run the airline. Now that this email has been made public, Udom and the DCA are sure to cut Cho loose. (Where we expect he will face charges in the US.)
Look here on the InvestigateUdom.smugmug.com, our video and picture site. There you can see DCA Deputy General Vitichai admiting he had receieved fraudulent rosters from Orient Thai back in October, 2007.
Vitichai still works for the DCA and in fact leads the crash *investigation*. [ha ha] Udom still owns and runs Orient Thai/One-Two/Go.
Oversight? Safety? Professionalism? Competance? Care or Concern for human life? Legal?
No. No. No. No. No. No.
More soon.
InvestigateUdom.com proof and evidence link Look for Oct 8, 2008 (at the bottom).
Udom is not in jail. Udom continues to run the airline. Now that this email has been made public, Udom and the DCA are sure to cut Cho loose. (Where we expect he will face charges in the US.)
Look here on the InvestigateUdom.smugmug.com, our video and picture site. There you can see DCA Deputy General Vitichai admiting he had receieved fraudulent rosters from Orient Thai back in October, 2007.
Vitichai still works for the DCA and in fact leads the crash *investigation*. [ha ha] Udom still owns and runs Orient Thai/One-Two/Go.
Oversight? Safety? Professionalism? Competance? Care or Concern for human life? Legal?
No. No. No. No. No. No.
More soon.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bangkok
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Having read the email on Bonnie's website I'm just wondering: has the email along with source information (email headers, witness testimony as to how it was extracted etc) been provided to the relevant [law enforcement] authorities? I'm assuming that the headers and other information needed to authenticate the origins of the email is available and preserved somewhere.