A Thai police plane crashes in the sea, killing all 6 on board

BANGKOK (AP) — A small police plane crashed into the sea near a popular beach town in Thailand, killing all six people on board, officials said Friday.

The plane was conducting a test flight to prepare for parachute training in Hua Hin district before it crashed around 8 a.m., Royal Thai Police spokesperson Archayon Kraithong said.

Officials did not immediately share the model of the propeller plane, but photos from the scene appear to show a Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter. The plane crashed near Hua Hin Airport, said the public relations department of Prachuab Kiri Khan province.

The photos show the plane in the sea about 100 meters (330 feet) offshore. The body of the plane appeared to be broken in two.

All six on board were police officers, Archayon said. Five of them died at the scene and one, the pilot, died later at the hospital, he said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Archayon said officials are gathering evidence including data from the plane’s black box.