A VietJet Air plane skidded off a runway at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport on Sunday, due to heavy rain and tailwind. The company reported no injuries to passengers or crew members, and stated that there was no damage to the Airbus A321-200.
Flight VJ-322 from Phu Quoc, which was due to arrive at HCMC on schedule at 12:22pm local time, reportedly veered right of runway 25L on approach, plowing over soft ground and two taxiways before coming to rest. The aircraft’s wheels sank partially into muddy terrain, causing a two-hour shutdown of the airport as it was dug out and towed to the apron.
Weather data for the airport lists rain showers at the time of arrival, as well as thunderstorm activity and heavy wind.
INCIDENT A Vietjet A321 skidded off the runway at Ho Chi Minh City Airport amid heavy rain https://t.co/YyFbv9uWl9
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) June 14, 2020
The country’s first private airline, VietJet Air has consistently ranked among the region’s safest, and received a technical reliability rate standing at 99.64 per cent as part of the IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Since commencing operation in December 2011, the airline has not recorded a fatal incident, though several passengers were injured after an A321 suffered a hard landing at Buon Ma Thuot Airport in November 2018.
Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration has yet to comment on Sunday’s incident, or any subsequent investigation.
