Plane Overshoots Runway in Myanmar
Plane Overshoots Runway in Myanmar
A passenger plane carrying 55 people overshot the end of a runway at an airport in eastern Myanmar due to suspected brake failure, injuring two people, an official said on Friday.
The Chinese-made Xian MA60 turboprop stopped about 200 meters beyond the runway and suffered damage to its propeller, landing gear and engine, according to state media.
The incident, which happened on Thursday in Monghsat in Shan State, involved a flight operated by state-owned Myanma Airways.
Win Swe Tun, deputy director general of the government’s Civil Aviation Department, told AFP that an investigation had been launched into the cause.
“It’s assumed it was because of a brake system failure,” he told AFP by telephone from Monghsat, adding that two passengers were sent to a hospital with “minor injuries.”
“The plane was bought new from China and only used for about three years,” he added.
Concerns about Myanmar’s air safety were heightened by an airplane crash-landing in December at Heho airport, also in Shan State, that left two people dead, with foreign tourists fleeing the burning jet.
Myanmar’s aviation and tourist industries are struggling to keep up with fast-growing demand as foreign visitors flock to the country, which is emerging from decades of junta rule.
Agence France-Presse.. 17th May 2013