Airports of Thailand Phuket branch (AoT Phuket), which operates Phuket Airport, confirmed that the twin-engine Cessna 337 military aircraft landed at about 11:18am but was unable to move after its landing gear failed to deploy properly. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes, and airport authorities immediately suspended all flight operations. The runway was officially closed from 11:42am while the disabled aircraft was removed.
AoT Phuket reported that it coordinated closely with the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Naval Area Command, the aircraft’s pilots and mechanics, and ground-handling companies to clear the runway.
Equipment and forklifts were brought in, and fuel was safely drained from the aircraft before it was lifted and moved off the runway at 1:49pm.
Airport teams then carried out a full Foreign Object Debris (FOD) inspection and cleaned up a minor oil spill. The runway was cleared for reopening at 2:30pm ‒ around 30 minutes earlier than originally expected.
In total, 70 flights were affected during the temporary closure, AoT Phuket reported.
AoT Phuket thanked all agencies involved for their rapid response and coordination to restore normal operations as quickly and safely as possible.