Passenger Recalls 'Something Banged' During Azur Air's Rough Landing in Phuket

A Russian passenger aboard an Azur Air flight described a jarring arrival in Phuket, Thailand, with a simple, unsettling phrase: "something banged." The incident, reported by the Telegram channel "Roof of TourDom," occurred on February 23 on a flight originating from Yekaterinburg.

According to a passenger account, the aircraft shook violently before its initial landing attempt, then proceeded to circle the airport for approximately an hour. The plane touched down successfully on its second try. Upon landing, the aircraft was met on the tarmac by a team of fire trucks as a precautionary measure. The pilot later informed those on board that there had been a technical issue with the plane.

Azur Air, however, stated the landing was conducted in a standard manner and that no injuries were reported. "Relevant specialists will shortly assess the aircraft's technical condition in Phuket to clarify the circumstances of the landing," the airline said in a statement.

The event follows recent reports of hundreds of Russian travelers stranded in Phuket due to a separate Azur Air aircraft experiencing landing gear problems. That flight, bound for Mineralnye Vody and scheduled to depart on February 23, was delayed for 33 hours.