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 down **nose-first**, causing both **nose gear tyres to separate**, and the plane **skidded on the strut for hundreds of metres** before stopping mid-runway. All **138 passengers and crew** were safely evacuated with no injuries.

**No injuries** were reported in the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing at Phuket International Airport on March 11, 2026**. All **138 passengers and crew** were safely evacuated. The airport shut down operations for approximately **five hours** while ground crews installed a replacement strut and axle.

**Thailand's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC)** will lead the investigation into the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing at Phuket International Airport (March 11, 2026)** under **ICAO Annex 13**. The nose wheels had been replaced just **three days earlier on March 8**, a fact relevant to the investigation.

The **nose wheels of Air India Express Flight IX938** had been replaced just **three days before the incident**, on **March 8, 2026**. The aircraft suffered a hard landing at **Phuket International Airport on March 11, 2026**, with both nose gear tyres separating. **Thailand's AAIC** is investigating under ICAO Annex 13.

**Phuket International Airport** shut down operations for approximately **five hours** after the **Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 hard landing on March 11, 2026**. Ground crews installed a replacement strut and axle. All **138 passengers and crew** were safely evacuated. **Thailand's AAIC** will investigate under ICAO Annex 13.