THAI plane skids off airport runway
At least 179 arriving and 264 departing flights were delayed at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after a Thai Airways International (THAI) Boeing 747-400 slid off the runway while landing in heavy rain on Monday evening, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd.
Five other flights were re-routed, it said.
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the plane was finally removed from the runway at 2.30pm yesterday.
The plane was carrying 97 passengers and 18 crew members from Guangzhou. There were no injuries.
Pratana Patanasiri, THAI’s vice president for aviation safety, said flight TG679 left Guangzhou at 8.58pm local time and arrived at Suvarnabhumi at 10.48pm. It slid off the runway after landing during adverse weather conditions.
When the plane finally came to a stop, passengers and crew members evacuated via an emergency slide and were taken to the passenger terminal. Passengers were served with food and beverages while waiting for their baggage, Mr Pratana said.
The airline and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee are looking into the incident.
Media reported that the plane had blocked Runway 19R, which was closed pending its removal.
Dalat Asawet, deputy director of Suvarnabhumi airport, said yesterday that the western runway would reopen later in the day.
Coincidentally, on the night of Sept 8, 2013, a THAI Airbus A330-300 plane, also serving flight TG679 from Guangzhou, skidded off a Suvarnabhumi runway on landing and caused delays.
In that incident THAI suffered damage to its reputation when it attempted to cover the stranded aircraft’s insignia and distinctive tail, causing widespread mirth among netizens.
Forty passengers were injured in that incident, 14 of whom had to be hospitalised. The accident was blamed on a landing gear malfunction. It took three days to remove the plane.