NAKHON SAWAN, March 1 (TNA) –The rainmaking plane that carried the agriculture minister and reporters for the launch of a rainmaking season made an emergency landing due to its electronic malfunction during a landing process at Nakhon Sawan airport.
Its pilots did whatever they could to land the plane with about 30 people safely but one of its wheels was locked. Its tire scratched on the tarmac and burst causing burning smell all over the runway.
The CN plane carried Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach, ministerial executives, 21 journalists and six plane officials from Wing 6 in Don Muang district of Bangkok at 8.15am.
They were set to attend an event to launch the rainmaking season at the agricultural airport of Nakhon Sawan.
When the plane approached the airport for landing, its landing gear meter and radio system broke down. The pilot phoned the traffic control tower to ask officials on the ground to look at its landing gear while the plane was circling.
As the landing gear was in place, the pilot decided to land the plane. However, its flaps did not operate, so the plane landed fast and hard. The pilot tried to apply its braking system to stop the plane and its tire burst. The plane stopped before it reached the end of its runway.
Minister Grisada then praised the pilots and mechanics for their best decision and the safe landing.
The electronic malfunction of the plane locked the people on board for about 10 minutes.
The pilots were identified as Flt Lt Adisak Padetpan and Flt Lt Apiwat Nakklai. The plane has been in use for about 20 years. (TNA)
