Police plane crashes into sea in Thailand, killing all six officers on board

A small police plane has crashed into the sea near a popular beach town in Thailand, killing all six people on board, officials have said.

The plane was conducting a test flight to prepare for parachute training in Hua Hin district before it crashed around 8am local time, 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 metres from the shore. 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 veri from the plane’s black box.