A runway at Phuket international airport was closed for three hours today, affecting 17 flights, after a naval reconnaissance aircraft had to make an emergency landing due to a landing gear problem.
Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachiayaphan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), said that the RTN’s Cessna O-2 Skymaster reconnaissance plane sought permission for an emergency landing at about 11.14am.
The plane had to stop on the runway and it took some time for airport officials to have the plane towed out off, after which inspectors checked the runway to ensure it is safe to resume operations, said the spokesperson, as he offered an apology for the inconvenience caused by the unexpected incident.
Naval engineers coordinated closely with airport officials in the towing the plane from the runway, after the remaining fuel aircraft had been pumped out to ensure safety.
The whole process took about three hours, during which seven in-bound and 10 out-bound flights were affected by delays and diversions. The runway is expected to re-open at 3pm.
