Incident Overview
On March 11, 2026, an Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX, operating flight IX 938 from Hyderabad, made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport, Thailand, with 138 people on board.
The aircraft bounced once after touchdown, resulting in the detachment of both nose wheels. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the passengers and crew, which included 132 passengers and 6 crew members.
The incident led to the closure of the runway at Phuket International Airport for nearly seven hours, during which 20 flights were diverted to other airports. The aircraft was towed to the bay after passengers were safely deplaned on the runway.
Flight IX 938 departed from Hyderabad at 6:23 AM and was scheduled to arrive in Phuket at 11:25 AM local time. The runway was expected to reopen by 6 PM after necessary safety checks were conducted.
Official Statements
An Air India Express spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating, “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport.”
In a follow-up statement, Air India Express noted, “The nose wheels have been installed on the aircraft involved in the incident at Phuket Airport, allowing normal airport operations to resume.”
Expert Insights
A senior B737 captain commented, “It’s a clear case of a hard landing, with nose wheel damage on the second touchdown.” An experienced pilot added, “Phuket is a tricky place to land if the winds are strong and thermals during hot afternoon time, which is usually the case there.”
Details remain unconfirmed regarding any further investigations or safety measures that may be implemented following this incident.
