AI Express 737 MAX suffers nose gear damage after hard landing in Phuket; runway closure disrupts flight operations
Dhaka: An Air India Express Boeing 737-8 MAX suffered severe damage to its nose landing gear after a hard landing at Phuket International Airport in Thailand on Wednesday, March 11.
At the time of this incident, the aircraft, registered VT-BWQ, was operating as flight IX938, a scheduled daily service from Hyderabad to Phuket.
Videos and images circulating on the internet show the 737 bounced several times after a hard touchdown, which severely damaged its nose landing gear assembly, making the aircraft stranded on the runway.
A total of 140 occupants, including the crew, were onboard the flight, and all of them disembarked immediately. No injuries were reported.
Airport authorities had closed the runway after the incident and issued a NOTAM, announcing the closure. Suspending the only runway severely disrupted operations at the airport, as several other flights had to divert to nearby airports.
The stranded aircraft was later moved off the runway, and airport operations resumed after seven hours. However, the ripple effect on flights is likely to continue at least until this evening, authorities said.
V
