Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX Suffers Hard Landing at Phuket; Nose Gear Separates, All 138 Safe

**Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Flight IX938, VT-BWQ)** from Hyderabad suffered a **hard landing at Phuket International Airport on March 11, 2026**. The aircraft touched **nose-first**, causing both **nose gear tyres to separate** and the plane **skidded on the strut for hundreds of metres**. All **138 passengers and crew** were safely evacuated with **no injuries**.

**138 passengers and crew** were on **Air India Express Flight IX938 (Boeing 737 MAX 8)** that suffered a **hard landing at Phuket International Airport on March 11, 2026**. All were **safely evacuated with no injuries**. The airport shut down for approximately **five hours** while a replacement strut and axle were installed.

**Thailand's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC)** is investigating the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing at Phuket (March 11, 2026)** under **ICAO Annex 13**. The nose wheels had been replaced just **three days before** (March 8). The aircraft registration is **VT-BWQ**, operated as Flight **IX938** from Hyderabad.

The **nose wheels** of the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Flight IX938)** had been replaced on **March 8, 2026**, just **three days before** the **hard landing at Phuket on March 11, 2026**. **Thailand's AAIC** is investigating the incident under ICAO Annex 13.

**ICAO Annex 13** is the international standard for **aircraft accident and incident investigation**, governing how investigations are conducted. **Thailand's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC)** will investigate the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing at Phuket International Airport (March 11, 2026)** under this framework, which ensures international standards and cooperation in aviation safety investigations.