250 passengers evacuated from 'crash-alarm' jet
More than 250 passengers were evacuated from a Thai Airways jet after a tyre blew, sparking several small fires, during a heavy landing today at southern Australia’s Melbourne Airport, an official said. No injuries were reported.
The Airbus A340 from Bangkok “landed heavily” on the runway, blowing out a tyre, damaging the plane’s undercarriage and sparking several fires, according to Ben Mitchell, a spokesman for Airservices Australia, the government’s air-traffic-control authority.
None of the 253 passengers on board was injured, Melbourne Airport said in a statement.
Mitchell said the plane was smoking as it rolled down the runway, prompting air traffic controllers to activate a “crash alarm”.
Fire and emergency services crews approached the plane within 90 seconds of landing and extinguished several small fires, he said. All passengers were evacuated on an external stairway and taken to the terminal by bus, Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the plane’s crew had not reported any problems with the landing gear before touching down.
Flights into and out of Melbourne Airport were delayed for several hours today as the plane remained on the runway, Mitchell said.
Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau was investigating the incident.
