Thai Airways Skids Off Runway; 13 Passengers Hurt

A Thai Airways Airbus 330-300 skidded off the runway while landing at Bangkok’s main airport after its landing gear malfunctioned, the airline said Monday. Thirteen people were injured while evacuating the plane.

After the accident, workers on a crane blacked out the Thai Airways logo on the tail and body of the aircraft, as part of an effort to protect the airline’s image according to Star Alliance guidelines, an official said. It was the second mishap in less than two weeks for Thailand’s national carrier.

The flight from Guangzhou, China, was carrying 288 passengers and 14 crew members.

“After touchdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway,” Thai Airways President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said in a statement. “Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation.”

Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon said it was too early to comment on what caused the accident. He said Airbus has dispatched a team of experts to Bangkok to aid in the investigation.

Photos taken after the incident showed deep furrows from skid marks in a grassy area off the runway, and the aircraft resting with its nose down and emergency slides inflated.

“The captain took control of the aircraft until it came to a complete stop and passengers were evacuated from the aircraft emergency exits,” the Thai Airways president said.

Thai Airways initially said 14 passengers were injured but revised the figure to “13 minor injuries” sustained during the evacuation.

Thai Airways official Smud Poom-On said that “blurring the logo” after an accident was a recommendation from Star Alliance known as the “crisis communication rule,” meant to protect the image of both the airline and other members of Star Alliance.

The incident occurred less than two weeks after 20 passengers were injured when a Thai Airways Airbus A380 hit severe turbulence as it was descending to Hong Kong’s airport.

(Associated Press writer Greg Keller in Paris contributed to this report.)