Phuket International Airport in Thailand temporarily closed Wednesday after an Air India Express flight made a hard landing, damaging the aircraft’s nose landing gear. The incident, involving flight IX938 from Hyderabad, prompted a temporary halt to runway operations as all 133 passengers were safely evacuated.

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Airport authorities quickly responded to the scene and initiated safety protocols. Images of the damaged nose wheel section are circulating on social media. Air India Express confirmed in a statement that the Hyderabad-Phuket flight experienced a technical issue with its nose wheel upon landing at Phuket International Airport. A spokesperson for the airline said all passengers were safely disembarked.

What is a Hard Landing?

A hard landing occurs when an aircraft lands on a runway with more force than usual. This can be caused by poor weather conditions, high speed, control issues with the pilot, unexpected wind changes, or a pilot’s delayed visual on the runway. A hard landing can cause damage to the landing gear, including the nose or main gear.

What is the Nose Wheel?

The nose wheel is the wheel located under the front of the aircraft, below the cockpit. It’s an essential part of the aircraft’s landing gear system. It supports the front of the plane whereas it’s on the ground and is used for steering during taxiing, and landing. The nose wheel helps control the aircraft as it touches down on the runway.

Disclaimer: The image accompanying this story is not from Manorama Online. The image is taken from the @AirIndia X account.

English Summary:

Air India Express experienced a technical glitch where the nose wheel of a Hyderabad to Phuket flight was damaged upon landing at Phuket Airport. All 133 passengers on board the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft were safely evacuated, and the runway was temporarily closed.