Thai Airlines Airbus Skids off Runway
On Monday, September 9th, A Thai Airways flight skidded off the runway after a landing-gear malfunction during landing. The vessel was an Airbus 330-300, which skidded at Bangkok’s main airport and left 14 people injured. The plane was brought to a rest without severe incident and the injuries occurred during the evacuation, not the actual landing. Unfortunately, this is the second reported mishap for Thai Airways in less than two weeks.
The flight was inbound from Guangzhou, China, and carried a total of 288 passengers and 14 crew members. Thai Airways President issued a public statement following the crash and stated:
“After touchdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway. Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation.”
The incident drew further skepticism as airport workers manning a crane blacked out the Thai Airways logo on both the tail and body of the aircraft in perceived attempt to protect the airline’s image. An airline official, Samud Poom-On, explained in a statement that the move was normal practice for Thai Airways after an accident. Samud initially stated that the practice was mandated by Star Alliance, but then later said that was not the case. The global airline grouping also released a statement claiming it had no such policy.
Questions arose with concerns about routine maintenance on the part of Thai Airways as well as potential component defect issues linked to the aircraft’s manufacturer and international jumbo jet supplier, Airbus. Airbus spokesperson Justin Dubon told media members that it was too early to comment on any suspected causes behind the accident.
Accident scene photos taken shortly after the incident revealed deep, prominent marks from skids marks left by the plane on the paved runway and leading across a grassy area just adjacent to the runway. Other photos displayed the aircraft where it finally came to a rest in the grass, with its nose dipped down onto the ground and emergency evacuation slides activated at the exits.
The captain was able to successfully control the aircraft until it could be brought to a complete stop. All passengers were evacuated using the aircraft’s emergency exits with only minor injuries reported, according to the Thai Airways President. Of those injured during a hurried evacuation, two remained in a local Bangkok hospital late Monday night.
Just about two weeks earlier, another aircraft hit severe turbulence as it made its decent toward Hong Kong’s main airport. 20 passengers about the Thai Airways Airbus A380 were reported injured as violent turbulence jolted the aircraft in the sky.
In the US, airplane crash victims are afforded certain rights to damages, as noted in several articles about passengers aboard Asiana Flight 214 that crash landed in San Francisco in the early summer of 2013. Any potential liability assigned to Thai Airways or Airbus is dependent upon the outcome of a full investigation and prevailing Thai law.
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