Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 Suffers Hard Landing in Phuket; Nose Gear Damaged, Wheel Detaches, No Injuries

An Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating a scheduled service from Hyderabad to Phuket experienced a hard landing at Phuket International Airport today, resulting in damage to the aircraft’s nose landing gear and a brief ground fire caused by debris. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated without injury.

The aircraft, operating as flight IX 938, touched down late morning in Phuket when it reportedly encountered a high‑energy landing. The impact caused the nose landing gear strut to scrape the runway, leading to the detachment of the nose wheels, one of which rolled forward and struck the airport perimeter fence. Airport officials confirmed that debris ignited a minor fire, which was extinguished immediately by emergency response teams.

Despite the structural damage, the aircraft came to a controlled stop on the runway. Passengers were disembarked via mobile stairs, and no injuries were reported among the 133 people on board. Air India Express stated that the crew followed all standard procedures and that safety personnel responded promptly.

Phuket International Airport temporarily closed its runway following the incident, resulting in delays and diversions as recovery crews worked to secure and remove the aircraft. Authorities are assessing runway conditions before reopening operations.

The aircraft sustained visible damage to the nose gear assembly, forward fuselage, and surrounding structures. The extent of repairs required will be determined once the aircraft is moved to a maintenance facility.