Father of police cadet killed in parachuting mishap awarded Bt2.7 million

The father, who’d been seeking Bt40 million, plans to appeal the ruling.
The Civil Court on Wednesday found private firm Thai Aviation Industries, along with the official in charge of procuring the plane-mounted cable used to open jumpers’ parachutes, responsible for the death of Chayakorn Putthachaiyong.
Chayakorn fell to his death on March 31, 2014, when his parachute failed to deploy during a training exercise.
The cable meant to serve as the automatic rip cord on his main parachute broke when he exited the plane, the court found.
Thai Aviation Industries was named second defendant and the purchasing officer ninth in the lawsuit filed by Chayakorn’s father, Sathorn Putthachaiyong.
Sathorn named Thai Airways International first defendant and six aircraft maintenance officers co-defendants, but the court decided they had no culpability in the cadet’s death.
THAI purchased the cables used on training aircraft. Thai Aviation Industries was in charge of mounting them on the planes.
Sathorn was seeking Bt40 million from the 10 defendants to cover funeral costs and expenses he will incur for the rest of his life without his son to take care of him.
The court reduced the amount to Bt2.7 million plus annual interest of 7.5 per cent, dating from January 21, 2016, the day after the suit was filed.
The compensation amount was reduced because the court deemed the cadet himself partly responsible, having failed to deploy his back-up parachute, as he would already have been instructed during his three months of training.