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Stella Lee

A THAI Airways jet with 131 passengers and crew made an emergency landing at Kai Tak yesterday because of engine trouble.

  The International Airbus 300-E6 limped in with one of its two engines shut down, a government spokesman said.

  But two senior Thai Airways staff, including the area manager, said they did not know whether the pilot had shut off the engine or throttled back, returning to Hong Kong on both engines but at reduced power.

  The Bangkok-bound Airbus Flight TG603 carrying 118 passengers and 13 crew took off on schedule at 8 am. The airport tower was informed around 8.50 am that the Airbus had to turn back after the captain reported severe vibration in its number one engine.

  A Thai Airways airport supervisor said the Airbus was flying at about 1,000 metres. Asked whether the plane was flying on one or two engines when it landed, the supervisor said the situation was still unclear.

  'I still do not have a clue yet because they are still checking on the engine. I've no idea,' he said.

  A similarly vague answer was given by Thai Airways area manager, Chalermkiat Suvanamas, who said: 'I still have not got that information yet.'   The plane made a normal landing then taxied under its own power to the apron, where passengers disembarked.

  The Airbus was later towed to the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company maintenance complex where investigators began to strip down the engine to find out what happened.

  The Thai Airways supervisor said that 15 to 20 passengers with onward connections from Bangkok were transferred to Singapore Airlines, China Airlines and Dragonair flights.

  The other passengers, mainly Hong Kong and Thai residents, waited more than three hours in the departure lounge before they were transferred to a Thai Airways flight which left at 12.40 pm.



Thai jet makes emergency landing