On Wednesday, February 22, an Airbus A320-200 of regional carrier Thai Smile operated flight WE207 from Bangkok to Phuket. The flight took off from Suvarnabhumi Airport half an hour later than the — at 11:59 instead of 11:30 local time.
Most of the flight was uneventful. However, when the plane began to descend in the direction of Phuket, one of its engines failed. Since Phuket was the nearest suitable airport, the crew requested a landing on runway number 09.
The landing was rough, with the plane hitting the runway with its tail. However, the A320 maneuvered safely and came to a stop, with no reports of injury. But the runway and the liner itself received significant damage.
The runway had to be closed for repairs, causing about 20 flights to be delayed. Work to eliminate the consequences of the accident lasted about an hour. As for the A320, it remains at Phuket Airport for now. The Phuket Information Center said on social media that the plane is awaiting inspection to assess damage and organize repairs.
The Airbus A320-200 involved in the incident was received by Thai Smile in October 2013, meaning it is now nine and a half years old. The aircraft is designed for 168 passengers and is equipped with a pair of IAE V2500 turbofan engines. The Thai Airways group has received the new aircraft directly from Airbus and has no previous operators.
Thai Smile, a regional subsidiary of Thai Airways, has a fleet of 20 Airbus A320-200s exclusively The average age of the fleet is 9.2 years.
The last reported accident with Thai Smile aircraft was on November 27, 2019. In general, there were three incidents with her A320 that year:
November 27, 2019 — cabin pressure loss.
April 22, 2019 — turbulence resulting in serious injury.
January 9, 2019 — an improperly closed aft cargo door caused minor damage.
Thai Smile Base Airport — Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok. From here, it flies domestic routes, serving the Southeast Asia region, destinations in India, Nepal, Taiwan and central China.
