BANGKOK – In a dramatic turn of events, the engine of a tourist plane burst into flames as it was about to take off from Thailand.
The tyres of the plane carrying 321 people also exploded as it was taxiing on the runway but the intelligence of the pilot helped avoid major disaster. The incident pertains to Azur Air flight, Boeing 767-300ER which aborted the take-off after the flames erupted.
The plane was Moscow bound from Phuket and the passengers and crew members were safely evacuated from the aircraft at Phuket International Airport. The incident happened on Saturday after which the runway was closed for 40 minutes prompting delays in other flights.
#SANCTIONS: Engine blew up on a Russian Azur Air Boeing 767-300ER as it was taking off from Phuket, #Thailand to Moscow, #Russia.
All flights cancelled at the Thai airport from Saturday 4:30pm to Sunday morning. Time for all countries to stop allowing Russian airlines planes. pic.twitter.com/PNMKnvWNIj— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) February 5, 2023
The Russian media also reported that the aircraft’s landing gear was damaged during take-off while accelerating at 190kmph.
One of the passengers managed to film the plane’s take-off on the runway and captured the fire. Pumes of smoke also billowed from the right half-wing of the aircraft as can be seen in the video.
