Fourteen People Injured When A330 Had A Landing Gear 'Glitch'

A Thai Airways Airbus A330 suffered what was described as a "glitch" in its main landing gear while landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport late Sunday. Fourteen of the 302 passengers and crew on board the airplane were injured when the airplane skidded off the main runway. The New York Daily News reports that it is the second incident involving a Thai Airways airplane in two weeks.

The airplane had departed from Guangzhou, China. The incident caused the temporary closure of the main runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The airline said the injuries had happened as people evacuated the airplane on its emergency slides. In a statement released Monday, Thai Airways President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said "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."

Workers using cranes obscured the airline's logo on the fuselage and vertical stabilizer of the airplane. An official for Star Alliance said that the move was in accordance with its crisis communications guidelines in an effort to protect its image.

Two weeks ago, 20 people were slightly injured when a Thai Airways A380 encountered "severe turbulence" as it descended into Hong Kong, according to the paper.

FMI: www.aviation.go.th/index_en.htm