An Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX plane made a hard landing at Thailand's Phuket Airport on Wednesday. The two nose wheels of the aircraft became detached on impact, but there were no reports of any injuries.
Operations at the airport were reportedly suspended as the Air India Express aircraft was stuck on the runway while being towed to the bay. The aircraft, registration VT-BWQ, operated flight IX938 from Hyderabad to Phuket.
Passengers were deplaned and taken to the terminal building, a senior DGCA official reportedly told the news agency PTI. The aircraft was involved in a suspected hard landing with a bounce on Runway 09 at Phuket Airport, the DGCA official reportedly said. An Air India Express spokesperson stated that the plane experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport and the crew followed all standard protocols.
"The aircraft is stuck on the runway; both nose wheels became detached," the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) official said, adding that an investigation would be carried out by the appropriate authority after consultation with Thai aviation authorities.
The official noted that both nose wheels of the aircraft had been replaced as part of routine maintenance on 8 March.
Understanding hard landing
A hard landing in aviation parlance is usually an unintentional landing where an aircraft hits the ground with excessive vertical speed and force. A landing is officially classified as "hard" when it exceeds the limit landing load specified by the aircraft manufacturer and aviation authorities.
According to available information, a vertical descent rate exceeding 600 feet per minute (fpm)—roughly 3 metres per second—at the moment of contact is typically classified as a hard landing. A vertical load factor exceeding 2.6G at touchdown is the standard threshold for a hard landing, SKYbrary Aviation Safety claimed.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Accident/Incident Data Reporting (ADREP) system categorises hard landings under "Abnormal Runway Contact".
While an unstable approach is often considered the most common reason for hard landings, mechanical issues, adverse weather conditions, and pilots initiating the landing flare too late or incorrectly can all cause them.