1931 Bangkok KLM Fokker F.VIIb-3m crash

The 1931 Bangkok KLM Fokker F.VIIb-3m crash occurred on 6 December 1931 when a KLM Fokker F.VIIb/3m aircraft, registration PH-AFO and named Ooievaar ("Stork"), crashed during takeoff from Bangkok. Of the seven people on board, five were killed and one was seriously injured; the radio operator was the sole survivor.

The accident received enormous media attention, had multiple investigations and had repercussions for KLM that lasted for more than six years.

Background

KLM introduced in October 1931 a regular scheduled service between Amsterdam and Batavia (14,350 km), lasting ten to twelve days, using the Fokker F.XII. This historic mail and passenger route; one of the longest in the world, ran via numerous intermediate stops, including Athens, Baghdad, and Bangkok, and became a vital air link with the Dutch East Indies.

Flight and crash

On 4 December 1931, the KLM-operated Fokker aircraft Fokker F.VIIb/3m "PH-AFO" named Ooievaar ("Stork" in Dutch), departed from Bandoeng on its 51st return flight from the Dutch East Indies to the Netherlands. There were four crew members and three passengers on board. Bangkok was one of the scheduled stopovers on this route. The aircraft arrived at Don Muang airfield from Alor Star at approximately 14:00 on 5 December without incident. The aircraft was loaded to approximately 5,059 kg, below the maximum allowable weight of 5,250 kg. The crew members and passengers spent the evening at the airfield before departure the following morning to Rangoon.

At around 05:45 on 6 December, the aircraft began its takeoff roll. A Siamese start official observed that the emergency hatch above the cockpit was open and attempted to signal this to the crew. However, no corrective action was taken, possibly because the signal was misunderstood. The aircraft continued its takeoff run but failed to lift off after an unusually long distance. Near the end of the airfield, the aircraft struck an earthen embankment and a ditch, causing the landing gear to break off. The aircraft then slid forward, dug its nose into a second embankment, and overturned into a flooded rice field. During the crash sequence, two engines were shut down, and the aircraft ultimately came to rest inverted after being completely destroyed.

Second pilot J. van Onlangs and two passengers were killed instantly. Captain Th. Wiersma and passenger Colonel Brinsmead were seriously injured. Wiersma died a few hours later and Brinsmead later died of his injuries in Australia. Radio operator G. van Zadelhoff sustained only minor injuries.