Tire problem forces emergency Airbus landing

ERJ staff report (BC)

Bangkok, Thailand – A Thai Airways International (TAI) Airbus 330-300 flying from Kolkata, India was forced to make an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi airport early on 16 March due to low tire pressure, the Bangkok Post reports airline president Sorajak Kasemsuvan as having said.

None of the 270 passengers and 21 flight crew on board were injured.

Sorajak denied initial media reports that one of the plane's tires had exploded on landing.

"The plane's tire did not burst or explode, but the left and right front tires had low pressure," he said.

Crew members discovered one of the two front tires was under-inflated shortly after the twin-engine plane took off from Kolkata at 2.48am Thai time.

The crew members requested permission to make an emergency landing as they approached Suvarnabhumi airport, the flight's destination, at about 6am, Sorajak said.

After the plane landed, ground crew found the other main tire at the front of the aircraft was also under-inflated.

The tires were replaced and the plane was towed to the airport gate where passengers disembarked at about 8.15am.

"The aircraft had to be inspected in accordance with international standards before leaving [Kolkata] airport, so TAI will now investigate the cause of the under-inflated tires," Sorajak said.

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