Engine fire forces emergency landing at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: An engine fire shortly after takeoff forced an Air Berlin flight to make an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport earlier tonight.
All flights were diverted away from Phuket’s critical tourism portal while emergency crews evacuated the 247 passengers on board and attended to the disabled aircraft left stranded on the runway.
The Air Berlin Airbus A330-200, serving flight AB-7425 from Phuket to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, took off from Phuket at its scheduled time of 9:26.
However, during the routine ascent to cruising altitude, passengers reported repeated bangs and sparks flying off an engine.
Crew on board the plane reported an engine fire before aborting the ascent and returning to Phuket Airport to make a safe landing – despite tyres blowing out during the emergency procedure.
No injuries were reported.
Phuket Airport is expected to resume normal service at 5am, today.
