Aeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket

An aeroplane made an emergency landing in Phuket yesterday. The Thai Smile Airways Airbus A320 made the landing at Phuket International Airport at 1pm due to engine problems.

The Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket Provincial Office, confirmed the incident today.

According to the centre’s report, the A320 made a “hard landing” with a tailstrike on the runway. Luckily, the pilot managed to bring the plane to a halt and all passengers got off safely, the report added.

However, the runway was closed for repairs, delaying “about 20 flights,” according to the report. The runway was closed from 1.55pm to 2.50pm in order to repair the landing strip, which was damaged by the tailstrike.

Airports of Thailand Phuket branch, which operates Phuket International Airport and Thai Smile, have yet to recognise the safety incident directly to the public, The Phuket News reported.

The Phuket Info Center said in a Facebook post that the Thai Smile Airbus A320 is currently awaiting inspection and repair.

This news comes after another major incident with a flight in Phuket earlier this month.

A Russian tourist plane’s engine caught fire before takeoff at Phuket International Airport on February 4.

The 309 passengers and 12 crew on board the 26 year old Boeing 767-306ER, operated by Azur Air, were forced to evacuate the aircraft. Footage from the scene showed flames bursting from the right engine of the Russian plane before takeoff was stopped. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang and said the plane was close to taking off at 120 miles per hour when the problem arose.

The incident resulted in chaotic flight delays that affected as many as 47 flights out of Phuket.

According to the Phuket Info Centre, the fire started in one of the engines, followed by two explosions or at least the sound of two explosions. The Russian pilot quickly activated the fire suppression system, cutting the fuel supply to the engine.

However, the rapid braking caused the brakes to heat up and smoke to rise from the wheels, resulting in some of the tires bursting.