A SCOTS microlight instructor has died after his aircraft plunged into the Gulf of Thailand while
he and a passenger were scattering the ashes of a friend.
Award-winning pilot Tom Grieve, 57, was flying above Pattaya Bay on Saturday afternoon when his machine appeared to lose power.
Tom tried to make an emergency landing but the aircraft clipped a pier poll and crashed into the water.
Tom, who is believed to be from Lanarkshire, died in hospital from chest injuries while his passenger Patrick Esser, from Lyme Regis, Dorset, broke his arm.
Speaking from the Pattaya Memorial Hospital, 100 miles east of Bangkok, Patrick, 31, recalled the tragedy.
He said: "I was making a tribute to my best friend when suddenly things went terribly wrong.
"My friend Stuart Long had died of throat cancer, aged just 41, and we were about to scatter his ashes in the sea.
"I had done a rehearsal flight the previous day with Tom and everything went fine.
"We were at about 2000ft when the engine cut. Tom tried several times to start it but failed.
"He was gliding it down and aiming for a large piece of concrete to land on. We must have been going about 70 miles per hour when we clipped something.
"We went head over heels and crashed into the water upside down."
Other friends waiting below on boats saw the microlight hit a newly constructed pier before going under the water.
Khun Prichar, who saw the crash, said the GT450 microlight circled three times before smoke started coming from the engine and it fell into the sea.
Patrick added: "I managed to get out and started looking for Tom then I saw him surface.
"He seemed okay but was in some pain.
"We were taken straight for hospital and I asked him on the way if he was okay.
"He did not reply. But he looked okay.
"In the hospital, medical staff desperately tried to give him resuscitation but failed.
"They told me he had internal injuries in his chest."
A Pattaya-based blogger called Mike described Tom as "a very experienced instructor". He added: "I know this area well and it is a bad place for an engine failure since there's nowhere to go.
"A number of the deceased's friends were waiting in boats to witness their late friend's final send-off and I guess Tom was under a degree of pressure to go ahead and fly the mission."
The cause of the crash is not yet known but the blogger claimed: "According to eyewitnesses and Tom's passenger, Tom turned-off the engine in order to drop the ashes.
"It would seem the engine was turned off at a low height, some say below 500ft.
"After dropping the ashes, Tom attempted to re-start the engine without success.
"At this point, the eyewitness reports say he was very low/slow and banked to avoid colliding with the hill.
"The trike then 'spiralled' into one of the concrete pilings that were sticking out of the water."
Tom, formerly a member of the Connel Flying Club in Oban, who lived in Pattaya, was an experienced pilot who had received two major awards for outstanding airmanship.
The former petrochemical industry technician was well known in the Highlands, where he flew the "Dawn to Dusk" – taking off and landing at every inhabited island in the Orkney group in one day.
He received an award from the Duke of Edinburgh for the feat.
Tom also made the first microlight flight across the North Sea, from Shetland to Norway, and won the Steve Hunt Award in 1977 for circumnavigating Australia anti-clockwise. John MacGilvray, was chief flying instructor of Connel Gliding Club when Tom was a member.
John 79, said: "He was a regular visiting pilot here for about five years and for a while he was here every weekend.
"He was connected to the Connel Flying Club for about five years and then he left for Thailand about 12 to15 years ago.
"He had been out to Thailand on a couple of holidays and then, all of a sudden, he decided to join a friend who had moved there. The friend had tried to set up as a microlight instructor but couldn't because of the legislation."
Another microlighting pal Les Hodgson said: "What sad news.
"A very persuasive bloke and great fun to be around.
"Tom was one of the real characters in microlighting, a real adventurer, and will be missed by all those who knew him."
Eddie Cartwright said: "RIP Tom. You were a fantastic person, genuine, and always had lots on enthusiasm. You will be missed by everyone who met you."
Thai authorities are probing the crash and local media in the country reported that weather conditions were a factor.
There is a relative "lull" down to 15- 25 mph winds tomorrow, with no significant weather and so that is our chance to cross the channel and make it home. Tonight it's a waiting game with little to do save for contemplate what tomorrow will bring.
The great news is that I shall be home tomorrow regardless!!! If the weather does not play ball we will simply slip onto the ferry and borrow another favoir from one of our long suffering friends or relatives and ask them to pick us up.
Being stuck is an odd mix of expectation, frustration and time to think.
I have fueled for a 4 hour Flint home! That same flight usually takes 2 hours, And in 20 minutes I shall start to pack the trike before dinner.....and beer ro two and a night on the hanger floor! Deep joy.
As for now the coffee tastes good and Kim Wild is on the radio taking me back 25 years, what happy years they have been.
Meribel
La Rossier
Megeve
This shot of Meribel is taken on the approach of 159 degrees to hook around to down wind. After the Altislope of yesterday these Tarmac Altiports seem a little low rent! Although the technique to land is opposite of a traditional landing in many ways. One Must only land if the wind is from behind or uphill in the direction of landing, we must keep the power on all the way down and plan to land on the very end of the lowest section of the runway. Take off's are always down hill!
In the big scheme of things it was an a magical moment and a walk in the park all rolled into one. The blogs pictures tell the story!
I don't think that I have ever felt this way at the end of a days flying, I feel flat! I feel like I would have rather spent the day with the people I love, perhaps the balance is changing.
Over night rain, a wet tent and a front dictate when we will be leaving, xcweather.co.uk is our reference and seems to be very accurate!
Today, the repairs to the flight trim systems complete and tested, the airframe and engine had one of the closest inspections I have completed for a long while. G-SA is officially ready, now the packing and checking can start while I keep one eye on preparation and the other on the weather.
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Let me take you to the beginning of the bank holiday weekend, three pilots en route to a weekend away to canoe the river Wye formate in a cheveron 7 miles to run to a short strip at a campsite, it had been raining but the conditions were smooth and clear. Overflying we break from the right 2, 1, 3, I land second coming in a little hot I slip and slide across the wet grass send over shoot the end of the runway into the farmers garden, but only just! I turn to see Phil land in snake left then right and for a few moments I think I am toast, in what seems like a moment later Phil powers on and goes around. So often in a short field by the time the brakes are on you have less that a couple of seconds to make your decision.
So that in and of itself does not seem to be so special, so ask why is Phil holding an Ozee with a burn hole? Now comes the context of that go around, on the final run on for the overhead join and while in formation, Phil had a capacitor blow. If you have ever experienced that you will know the cockpit fills with smoke and surprise! I know it happened to me on take off at Thorney. Phil took this in his stride made a logical assessment of the situation, engine running, no fire, all instruments good and carried on the join, break and landing sighty hot he did not get it on the ground at any cost he decided to go around having a burning sensation on his leg, around and down for the perfect short field landing.
When I think about this, the Calm, logical, and the presence of mind I think this has to pay tribute to his understanding of , and the training he received, well done Phil.
