About to start the 2nd full day here at the 2026 ARFF Leadership Symposium in Addison, Texas...
Here are the stories for today...
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Air India Express flight suffers hard landing damage at Phuket airport; runway closes temporarily
Videos and photos of damage suffered by an Air India Express flight from Hyderabad after hard landing in Phuket have surfaced on X.
Written by FE News Desk
A Thailand-bound Air India Express aircraft
encountered a nose-wheel problem after hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday. The video of the incident has since surfaced on social media, prompting a confirmation by the airline.
As per real-time air traffic tracker FlightRadar24, the Boeing 737-Max8 aircraft operating flight IX 938 departed Hyderabad, India, at 6:42 am, a bit later that its scheduled 6:20 am departure. Thereafter, it landed the Phuket airport at 11:40 am local time.
Video of Air India Express flight hard-landing in Phuket
A video circulating online showed the flight landing on runway and leaving behind a trail of dust . Other pictures of the aircraft showed the damaged it had incurred after landing on the only runway at Phuket Airport, which has since been closed temporarily, according to The Nation Thailand. A nose wheel is a crucial component of an aircraft’s landing gear system.
Air India confirms Phuket airport incident
As quoted by PTI, Air India’s budget airline said, “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport.” The airline further stated that all standard protocols were followed to facilitate a smooth deplaning of passengers. No injuries were reported. There were 131 passengers on the plane, along with seven crew members and two infants.
The Thai outlet reported that it was initially estimated that the hold up would take around six hours. Consequently, other flights scheduled to land at the airport were required to hold in nearby airspace. Others were diverted to alternate airports.
Another image shared online by the news outlet Thai PBS showed the plane’s tyre having been shredded after the hard landing.
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/airlines-aviation-video-air-india-express-flight-suffers-hard-landing-damage-at-phuket-airport-runway-closes-temporarily-4169232/
3 injured after plane crashes in field in Union County, officials say
By Tyler Scott
UNION COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Union County Sheriff’s Office reports it responded to a plane crash on Tuesday.
Deputies said a single-prop plane carrying three
people traveling from Greenwood to Rock Hill had a mechanical issue while in flight. The pilot tried to divert to the Union County Airport but was forced to land in a field near Old Buncombe Road around 7:15 p.m.
The three were taken to the hospital by EMS with non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
Union County EMS, Union County Fire and Rescue and Union County Emergency Management all responded to the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been called to investigate. The National Transportation Safety Board was also asked to assist, officials said.
https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/11/3-injured-after-plane-crashes-field-union-county-officials-say/
NTSB Prelim: Cessna 172N
(Instructor) Chose To Land In The Hudson River Close To The Western Shore, At The Area With The Most Lighting
Location: Newburgh, NY Accident Number: ERA26LA134
Date & Time: March 2, 2026, 19:10 Local Registration: N1560E
Aircraft: Cessna 172N Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional
On March 2, 2026, at 1910 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N1560E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Newberg, New York. The flight instructor and student pilot incurred minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
The flight instructor reported that, after performing a touch-and-go landing at New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), the engine was not producing the normal rpm. When he leaned across the cockpit to view the engine gauges, he saw the oil pressure was indicating zero. He then declared an emergency with air traffic control and asked to return directly to the airport. The engine then began to run extremely rough before it lost total power. He took over the controls from the student pilot and determined that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport. He then chose to land in the Hudson River close to the western shore, at the area with the most lighting.
The flight instructor subsequently ditched the airplane among broken patch ice and struck some submerged structures, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage.
The pilots extricated themselves from the airplane and were able to reach the shore. The airplane sank until the wings were awash, but remained largely afloat and was recovered the following day.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
Today in History
44 Years ago today: On 11 March 1982 Widerøes Flyveselskap flight 933, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed into the sea off Gamvik, Norway, killing all 15 occupants.
| Date: | Thursday 11 March 1982 |
| Time: | 13:27 |
| Type: | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 |
| Owner/operator: | Widerøes Flyveselskap |
| Registration: | LN-BNK |
| MSN: | 568 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6A-27 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 6 km SE off Gamvik - Norway |
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Berlevåg Airport (BVG/ENBV) |
| Destination airport: | Mehamn Airport (MEH/ENMR) |
| Investigating agency: | HSL |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:
Widerøes Flyveselskap flight 933, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed into the sea off Gamvik, Norway, killing all 15 occupants.
Widerøe Flight WF933 was a scheduled domestic service from Kirkenes Airport, Norway to Alta Airport, with intermediate stops at Vadsø Airport, Berlevåg Airport, Mehamn Airport and Honningsvåg Airport.
The Twin Otter left Berlevåg at 13:19 hours on the third leg of the flight. The first officer reported to Mehamn Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) at 13:22 that the aircraft was at 2,000 feet altitude over the Tanafjord and had an estimated time of arrival of 13:33. Mehamn AFIS radioed Flight 933 at 13:35, but received no answer. The aircraft failed to arrive at was declared missing.
The wreckage was located two days after the accident at a depth of 45 meters in the water off Gamvik, Norway.
The investigation into the cause of the accident concluded that the vertical stabilizer failed in flight in strong turbulent wind conditions.
The accident occurred during a NATO military exercise, within a self-declared no-fly zone for allied military aircraft. A report in 1987 that radar had observed an unidentified aircraft which was on a collision course with the Twin Otter caused a second investigation to be started. It was concluded that the existence of other aircraft in the area could be ruled out; and that no other airborne objects could have caused the accident.
The debate about the accident resurfaced in 1997 when several sources claimed there was new or overlooked evidence of the involvement of NATO aircraft.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) decided in 1997 to investigate the new claims and concluded that there was no evidence to support these claims.
The accident was ordered investigated again in November 2002 after a retired Norwegian air traffic controller said one of the Harrier pilots, involved in a mission about the time of the accident, had requested an immediate landing because of technical problems. The report was published on 20 September 2005. It fully supported the findings of all three previous reports and found no evidence for an impact with a Harrier or any other aircraft.
ORIGINAL PROBABLE CAUSE: Overload due to a combination of clear air turbulence, local whirlwind, mountain wave and the pilots spontaneous improper actions.
