Nok Air captain needs to 'defend' decision after crashThe captain of a Nok Air aircraft that slid off the runway at Chiang Rai airport will be summoned by regulators to explain why passengers were kept on board for about an hour after the accident. "The rationale behind the decision is what the CAAT needs to hear from the captain," Mr Suttipong told the Inside Thailand news programme. The captain turned off the engines of the 737-800 Boeing aircraft after the accident, leaving the passenger cabin in darkness and without air conditioning. "The captain is the one who makes the decision on evacuation after assessing the situation, including external factors," Mr Suttipong said. The CAAT chief also said passengers were allowed to stand on runways in case of emergency, although they were off limits in normal circumstances.
