A video has gone viral showing the moments when a plane operated by Air India Express on its Hyderabad-Phuket route skidded off the runway in Phuket, Thailand after a front wheel failure.
The accident involved a Boeing 737 Max 8. The exact number of passengers on board was not immediately clear. However, no injuries were reported.
What does the video show?
The footage, recorded near the runway, shows the plane landing. The plane appears to be pitching slightly as it struggles to maintain a straight line on the runway.
The video shows the plane slowing down as it drifts toward the edge of the runway before eventually coming to a stop on the surface of the main runway.
Pictures circulated after the accident show clear damage to the plane’s landing gear, including a blown tire and structural damage around the steering wheel.
Read also| An Air India Express plane suffered a nose wheel failure in Phuket, and the airport is suspending operations due to the plane stalling off the runway
An Air India Express spokesperson confirmed the incident and said the crew followed all prescribed safety procedures. They added that all passengers exited the plane safely after the accident.
The airline also expressed its gratitude to the passengers, and thanked the authorities at Phuket International Airport, among other stakeholders for their cooperation while handling the situation.
“We confirm that our flight from Hyderabad to Phuket on March 11 encountered a nose wheel issue at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and the guests were offloaded. We thank our guests, Phuket Airport authorities and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” an Air India Express spokesperson said regarding this matter.
Flight IX 938 took off from Hyderabad at 6:42 a.m. instead of its scheduled departure time of 6:20 a.m., and landed at Phuket International Airport at 11:40 a.m. local time, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
