Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 suffers nose-wheel damage during Phuket landing; runway closed temporarily

An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad suffered a landing incident at Thailand’s Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, March 11 after its nose landing gear was damaged during touchdown, forcing authorities to temporarily shut the runway. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, operating as Flight IX 938 with 133 passengers on board, came to a halt on the runway after the front wheel detached during landing. All passengers were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Airport authorities issued a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) and closed the runway until around 6 pm local time to allow emergency teams to secure the aircraft and carry out safety inspections. Photographs from the scene showed the aircraft’s broken nose wheel lying on the runway.

What happened during the landing?

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According to early reports, the aircraft experienced difficulty while touching down at Phuket International Airport. The nose landing gear was damaged during the landing, causing the front wheel to detach from the aircraft.

Images and videos circulating online show the aircraft making a rough touchdown before stopping on the runway. With the nose wheel damaged, the aircraft could not be immediately moved, leading airport authorities to suspend runway operations temporarily.

Flight IX 938 timeline

Flight IX 938 had departed from Hyderabad at 6.42 am, slightly later than its scheduled departure time of 6.20 am. According to flight tracking data, the aircraft landed at Phuket International Airport at around 11.40 am local time.

Airport officials later confirmed that the aircraft had made a hard landing which resulted in damage to the nose landing gear.

Because the wheel had detached from the aircraft, it remained stranded on the runway for some time while airport teams prepared to remove it safely.

Passengers evacuated safely

Authorities confirmed that all 133 passengers on board the Boeing 737 MAX 8 were safely evacuated from the aircraft after the incident. Passengers were taken to a waiting area inside the airport terminal while officials managed the situation on the runway.

There were no reports of injuries among passengers or crew members.

Airline confirms nose-wheel issue

Air India Express confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the crew followed standard safety procedures.

"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," the airline said. Foreign media reported that Phuket International Airport temporarily shut its runway after the Air India Express aircraft malfunctioned during landing. According to reports, the detached wheel and damaged landing gear meant the aircraft could not be moved immediately, forcing airport authorities to halt operations until the runway was cleared and inspected.

Why nose landing gear is crucial?

The nose wheel plays a big role in an aircraft’s landing gear. It holds up the front of the plane and lets pilots steer while moving along the runway.

Most of the plane’s weight lands on the main gear, but the nose gear keeps everything balanced and pointed straight once the front hits the ground.

Any damage to this component can make it difficult to move the aircraft safely, which is why airport authorities typically suspend runway operations until the aircraft is removed and the runway inspected.