‘Screaming Passengers, Howling Kids’: Minal Ahuja Recounts Horror Aboard Air India Express Flight That Made Hard Landing In Phuket

New Delhi: An Air India Express flight arriving from Hyderabad suffered a severe hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, March 11.

The force of the impact was so significant that it heavily damaged the aircraft’s nose gear. Fortunately, all 133 passengers on board Flight IX938 evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. 

Following the incident, the runway remained closed until approximately 6 p.m. local time to allow airport officials to conduct a full safety inspection and clear the debris.

Passenger recounts horror

One of the passenger Minal Ahuja who was onboard the Phuket flight, in an exclusive conversation with Republic, narrated the harrowing ordeal. 

The passenger on being asked about what the impact felt like stated, "It was not an expected landing. We were looking for a very smooth landing. We were right there around the beach because I  have seen in the videos that whenever a flight lands on the airport, it starts from the beach  and then come to the runway. But as soon as the aircraft touches the runway, they felt the bounces like two, three times."

Adding further he said, "It was like we were kind of flying from the seats and then coming down. So it was a very, very harsh landing."

Passenger on panic and injuries

Ahuja, further highlighting the harrowing experience inside the flight said, "People were panicking and there were a couple of kids on board in the plane and they were crying because the landing was not very smooth."

Shedding light on the injury part, he said, "I have not heard about any injuries. Even when flight got landed, one of the crew member announced that if someone got any injury, they can come forward and get the medication done. But I have  not seen anyone coming forward." 

He further stated that people were shouting following the unrest in the flight.

Any provisions for passengers?

On being asked about the provisions made by Air India following the huge scare, the passenger on board described a tense but orderly wait following the impact. He said that immediately after landing, the captain informed the cabin that they had experienced a "hard landing" and were coordinating with Phuket airport authorities. 

Within about 20 minutes, emergency vehicles and fire brigades surrounded the aircraft, followed by a mobile staircase and shuttle buses. Due to the precarious position of the stairs, travelers were required to deboard one by one to ensure a safe evacuation.

Any demand from the airline

The passenger on further being asked about any demand from the airline stated, "Yeah, I mean, as a passenger, I would expect from airline that, you know, the travel will always be smooth and safe for passengers."

What he saw after deboarding

After alighting from the the plane, the passenger stated that the front wheel of the aircraft was covered with some sheet and there was around 15-20  members outside. Adding further he said, "I was, surprised to see that this is not just a little hard, it's something bigger and thanked God."

What happened to the aircraft?

The aircraft suffered a mechanical failure upon touchdown, resulting in the nose landing gear snapping and the fuselage sliding along the tarmac.

Images from the scene captured the severed nose wheel assembly resting on the runway, surrounded by debris.  

Emergency teams and airport authorities immediately secured the site to prevent further escalation and protect those on board. As the primary component for steering and weight distribution during ground operations, the failure of the nose gear left the aircraft immobilized and effectively paralyzed runway traffic.

Responding to the incident, Air India Express said its Hyderabad-Phuket flight experienced a nose wheel issue at Phuket Airport, but all passengers were safe.

"We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation," said the spokesperson.

Also Read: Hyderabad-Phuket Air India Express Flight Suffers Hard Landing; Tyre Comes Off, Aircraft Nose and Landing Gear Damaged