Others Say Tower Told Him To Do So

We're getting a clearer look at the series of events that may have led to the downing of a Thai airliner this weekend. The pilot of the One-Two-Go MD-82 may have chosen to land despite wind shear warnings, officials said Tuesday.

As ANN reported, 89 people were lost when the plane crashed on landing on the resort island of Phuket. All but 13 bodies have been identified, the airline told Agence-France Presse.

"The identification process of all the dead bodies will be finished no later than in three days," said Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla.

Officials in Thailand report air traffic controllers warned the Indonesian pilot of dangerous weather conditions as the plane carrying 130 passengers and crew approached the airport in heavy rain Sunday.

"There was a warning of wind shear from the pilot in the previous flight, which landed four minutes ahead," Kumtorn Sirikorn, vice president of the air traffic control body Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, told AFP. "Air traffic control asked the pilot whether he knew about this wind shear or not, and he said he knew... the pilot insisted he wanted to land."

The plane impacted the runway and skidded into an embankment, breaking apart and catching fire.

Another official disclosed the pilot, Arief Muldayi, received clearance to abort the approach just before the plane touched down.

Mulyadi's son -- who lost his father in the crash -- had a different account, however. He says authorities in Phuket said his father had wanted to divert to Bangkok... but tower controllers directed him to land.

One-Two-Go president Udom Tantiprasongchai admitted the airline shared responsibility for the accident, but made efforts to defend his flight crew, "It is too soon to jump to conclusions, it is unfair to our staff. Please wait until the investigation is finished," he told reporters.

Investigators -- assisted by personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board -- have recovered the aircraft's flight recorders, and will carry both devices back to the US for analysis.

FMI: www.fly12go.com