Thai Airways International Flight 114

Thai Airways International Flight 114
The burnt-out wreckage of the aircraft
Accident
Date3 March 2001
SummaryFuel tank explosion on the ground
SiteDon Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand 13°55′N 100°36′E / 13.91°N 100.6°E / 13.91; 100.6
Total fatalities1
Total injuries7
Aircraft

HS-TDC, the aircraft involved in the accident
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-400
Aircraft nameNarathiwat
OperatorThai Airways International
IATA flight No.TG114
ICAO flight No.THA114
Call signTHAI 114
RegistrationHS-TDC
Flight originDon Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
DestinationChiang Mai International Airport, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Occupants8
Crew8
Fatalities1
Injuries6
Survivors7
Ground casualties
Ground injuries1

On 3 March 2001, Thai Airways International Flight 114 exploded at gate 62 of Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, killing one person and injuring seven other people. Five cabin attendants, two baggage loaders, and a load control supervisor were preparing the Boeing 737-400 for a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai before the passengers were boarded. An explosion during this process started a fire that destroyed the aircraft. Six people on board and one person on the ground were injured while one cabin attendant was killed.

The passenger manifest included many government figures, including prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his son Panthongtae, and 20 other government officials. Initial reports from Thai officials suspected an assassination attempt using a bomb. Despite this, no evidence of an explosive device was found during examinations of the wreckage. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee determined that a flammable fuel-air mixture inside the center fuel tank ignited, likely due to sparks generated from an activated fuel pump with the presence of metal shavings.