THAI 747 slides off Suvarnabhumi runway on landing

Supplied photos show what appears to be an engine resting on the ground (left) and part of the landing gear of the halted Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 amid ploughed-up soil, after it ran off the runway on landing at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province late on Monday night.
Supplied photos show what appears to be an engine resting on the ground (left) and part of the landing gear of the halted Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 amid ploughed-up soil, after it ran off the runway on landing at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province late on Monday night.

A Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 carrying 97 passengers and 18 crew members from Guangzhou slid off a runway while landing at Suvarnabhumi airport in heavy rain late Monday. There were no injuries.

Pratana Patanasiri, Thai Airways vice president for aviation safety, said flight TG679 departed from Guangzhou at 8.58pm local time and arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport at 10.48pm. It was landing in heavy rain and slid off a runway.

When the plane finally came to a stop, slides were deployed and passengers and crew members were evacuated and moved safely to the passenger terminal. No one was injured. Passengers were served with food and drinks while waiting for their baggage, Mr Pratana said.

The airline and authorites are investigating.

Media reported the plane blocked Runway 19R and it was closed pending its removal.

On the night of Sept 8, 2013 THAI's Airbus A330-300 plane also serving flight TG679 from Guangzhou skidded off Suvarnabhumi runway on landing and caused flight delays.

In that incident THAI badly damaged its image by trying to paint over the aircraft's insignia and distinctive tail, causing widespread mirth at the completely unsuccessful cover-up.

Forty passengers were injured in that incident, 14 of whom had to be hospitalised. Authorities blamed that incident on landing gear malfunction. It took three days to remove the plane.

Learn from listening

Click play to listen to audio for this story, or download to save the file
: :

Vocabulary

  • evacuate: to cause to leave a place because it is not safe - เคลื่อนย้ายออกจาก
  • malfunction: a failure to work or operate correctly   - ทำงานผิดปกติ
  • mirth: happy laughter - ความรื่นเริง, ความสนุกสนาน
  • pending: waiting to be dealt with, settled or completed - ยังค้างอยู่, ซึ่งยังไม่จบสิ้น, อยู่ในระหว่าง
  • slide: a structure with a steep slope for sliding down - รางเลื่อน
  • slide (past form: slid): to move easily over a smooth or wet surface; to make something move in this way - ลื่น

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (1)