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Published on September 20, 2007

We have the Samui crash in bad weather when the Bangkok Airways aircraft crashed at night in low visibility and difficult weather conditions. We have the night crash at Surat Thani, in bad weather, when the pilot made several attempts at landing and finally crashed. And now we have the latest crash at Phuket, in rapidly varying and potentially extremely hazardous weather conditions, with the possibility of dangerous wind shear and more, and the Captain - an experienced instructor-pilot with many hours as first pilot - making a decision which was not "better be safe".

Each of these accidents was arguably preventable had the captain taken the "better be safe" option, which is the only option any captain of any aircraft, at any time, must follow. The conclusion that may be drawn from these preventable accidents is that all pilots flying local aircraft must be strictly indoctrinated by their airlines to follow the "better be safe" routine when critical flight or landing conditions exist.

The captain of an aircraft is wholly responsible for the safety of his craft and passengers. Not the air traffic controller, not aerology, no one but the captain. He makes the decisions.

The captain of this flight had basically three alternatives, given the weather conditions at Phuket: to land; to proceed to his alternate [landing site]; or to request a holding pattern from air traffic control pending an improvement in the weather. The decision to land his aircraft was the captain's decision alone. He thought he could make a safe landing, since the aircraft immediately preceding his flight by only a few minutes had landed safely. He decided to take his aircraft and passengers into an extremely dangerous situation, rather than either of the two safer alternatives. This is called "pilot error".

This is sent by a pilot who hopes that local airlines will re-emphasise the "better be safe" philosophy when critical decisions in flight are called for. Let's stop such preventable accidents.

John D Williams

Bangkok

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Budget airlines need to be monitored

I am really shocked about the Phuket air crash and feel very sorry for all relatives of the deceased or injured. However, reporting on the incident has made me assume that the truth is not being told. Your September 18 issue contained a quote from the transport minister stating, "The plane had been in use for 12 years. Normally, any plane should give at least 15 years of good service." Reading this at first put me at ease, as that means negligence on the part of the operator would be further from the cause of the accident. Now, this evening, listening to the international news, I hear that the plane in fact was 24 years old.

Having flown with some low-cost airlines I know they use really old leased aircraft. Low-cost airlines get their additional margins from somewhere, and it is time to make sure these are not at the expense of safety.

So now I wonder who is going to be blamed for the terrible loss of life. How old was the plane really? Maybe it had been in use for 12 years after refurbishment, but that would still make it an old plane. In any case, low-cost airlines should be rigorously monitored to prevent further incidents. 

Concerned Flyer

Bangkok

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Human behaviour has gone to the dogs

Another international fatwa declared - this time against a Scandinavian who drew a picture that supposedly portrays the head of Muhammad on the body of a dog. There are many things that come in to play here. First, no one is supposed to know what Muhammad looks like, so how would an infidel know? Secondly, what is this fatwa (declared death sentence) business? Have these sage clerics ever heard the word "discussion"? If someone has a problem with a neighbour, do they immediately call for the guy's head on a plate? By the way, this particular fatwa (against the cartoonist) has a bounty attached. In civilised countries, offering a bounty for someone's murder is a crime.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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Financial management skills are lacking

Re: "Get to the root of the financial problems", Letters, September 19.

The primary reason that most nations have abandoned fixed exchange-rate systems is that they must also maintain the same interest rates as the base currency, regardless of whether that is appropriate for the local economy. Keeping a fixed exchange rate and operating an autonomous interest rate policy will eventually lead to something as bad as 1997. This type of policy was in fact the core cause of that crisis.

This leaves local authorities unable to respond to local economic conditions through rate adjustments, perhaps their most powerful tool. It also leads to persistent boom and bust cycles and highly volatile asset prices.

The only sustainable fixed exchange-rate system is the currency-board system as practiced in Hong Kong. The currency-board system requires complete adoption of the base economic area's interest rate policies. Most Asian nations, including Thailand, now operate a "managed" or "dirty" float. This is likely the best alternative in a less-than-ideal world. However it must be managed with proper skill and tactics. This is where I fear we are lacking.

T Mercer

Bangkok

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Spare a thought for Iraq's damaged children

Exposure to grave violence, sustained combat and traumatic events is putting vulnerable Iraqi children at risk of suffering serious psychological damage that will have long-term social consequences. Seemingly endless conflict is taking an immense toll on youths experiencing severe anxiety, depression, recurring nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder. Orphans who have lost parents or loved ones will never fully heal. The problem is compounded by cultural barriers and entrenched prejudices about mental health treatment, which inhibit people from seeking help, if and when it is offered.

Concerns about physical and psychological damage also extend to returning troops, with the incidence of psychological trauma, combat fatigue, survivor guilt, depression and anxiety rising. This human crisis affects each and ever member of the global family, who must take some degree of responsibility for what Iraqis call the "American War". With civilian casualties numbering about 100 per day, we cannot ignore the needs of the orphaned children and dysfunctional families unable to cope on their own.

Each and every child deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and to be guaranteed an equal opportunity to live a saner, safer and more secure life envisioning a peaceful future.

Dr Charles Frederickson

Bangkok

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Foreigners and tourists beware of nationalism

Seventy-year-old retired general, Pricha Rojanasen, chairman of the Committee on Religion, Art and Culture, proposed a draft to make it compulsory for everyone to stop his or her activity and pay respect to the national anthem, heard every evening on street loudspeakers. The proposal also applied to the raising of the national flag to the top of a flagpole.

Admitting there was no penalty mentioned in the draft, he welcomed suggestions to enforce his proposal. He argued that a one-minute pause would not cause much inconvenience to anyone.

Well, my suggestion is that his idea is extremely absurd. Nationalism and patriotism are not the same. Deposed prime minister Thaksin got himself in trouble when he confused the two. Even if a national flag is being raised on a flagpole, any sane passer-by would not stop unless within the perimeter in which the flagpole is supposed to be respected.

If Pricha's nationalistic draft is passed, aeroplanes might be required not to fly over any flagpole in the kingdom, if not be forced to stay put in mid-air until the national anthem is over.

Chamnong Watanagase 

Bangkok

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