Thai Airways Flight 261 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101. The pilot flying the Airbus A310-300 is thought to have suffered spatial disorientation.
Thai Airways International Flight 261 (TG261/THA261) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport to Surat Thani International Airport in Surat Thani, Thailand. The flight was operated by Thai Airways International, the flag carrier of Thailand. On 11 December 1998, the aircraft, an Airbus A310-204 registered in Thailand as HS-TIA, stalled and crashed onto a swamp during its landing attempt at Surat Thani Airport. A total of 101 people were killed in the crash.Thailand's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC) opened an investigation into the accident. The investigation revealed that the crew were disoriented. As their attempts to land at the airport had failed multiple times, the crew became upset, causing them to not aware on the condition of their aircraft until the aircraft started to enter an upset condition. The pilots failed to recover the aircraft and the aircraft crashed onto the swamp.The accident was the second deadliest plane crash in Thailand, behind Lauda Air Flight 004. It was the fifth worst accident involving the Airbus A310, the fourth hull loss of an Airbus A310 and the first fatal accident in the history of Star Alliance.