Motorist drives onto airport runway and into the path of a Boeing 777 that had just landed after ‘taking a wrong turn’ in Thailand
A Thai motorist who drove onto an airport runway and into the path of a Boeing 777 that had just landed claimed they had ‘taken a wrong turn’. (scroll down for video)
The dramatic moment was captured in footage that showed the car ploughing through security gates and onto the tarmac at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on Tuesday.
Shocked staff watched as the driver careered along the runway towards the newly-landed plane, while panic-stricken airport security raced out to corner the vehicle.
The footage, reportedly taken by an unnamed member of the ground staff, showed the driver being escorted off the runway.
‘I don’t know how the car made it onto the runway,’ the person filming can be heard saying.
‘The airport is such a valuable company, but they haven’t even managed to stop the car from getting into the airport. This is such a safety and security breach. It’s so terrible’.
Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is operated by Airports of Thailand PLC (AOT), a publicly traded company.
Officials said the driver was high on methamphetamine and unknowingly drove into the airport.
Squadron Leader Suthirawat Suwanwat, Director of the airport, said that after being informed of the ‘intruder’, he sent staff who ‘immediately intercepted and detained the driver to be investigated and prosecuted’.
He said the driver was identified as Prathipat Masakul, who told police he was drunk.
Tests allegedly showed that Prathipat was under the influence of drugs, which were also found in the car bonnet.
The airport boss added: ‘The accused admitted that the act was due to drunkenness and he unknowingly drove through the restricted area.’
Police detained him on suspicion of intruding into restricted areas within the airport, illegal possession of drugs and illegally consuming and driving while under the influence of methamphetamine.