No one hurt in bird-hit AirAsia plane

BANGKOK, June 10 (TNA) - All passengers and crew members are safe after a plane of AirAsia, Malaysia's low cost airline, could not depart from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in the Thai South to Bangkok on Tuesday morning because its left wing was damaged, possibly by a flying bird. AirAsia's public relations services made the confirmation, after the airline's engineers had thoroughly checked the plane. AirAsia staffs told journalists that just before the takeoff, the pilot of the plane reported a trace of damage on the left wing and assumed it was hit by a flying bird. Prachuap Nathong, Acting Director of Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport, revealed that an AirAsia staff then told 170 passengers to leave the plane, Flight FD3189, and to wait at the passenger terminal pending technicians' examination of the left wing of the aircraft, as concerned authorities had to abide by their safety rules despite the slight damage. Prachuap said, however, that no one found a bird carcass at the plane's damaged left wing. The AirAsia plane arrived at the Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport, from Bangkok, at 7:50am and was earlier scheduled to leave the Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport at 8:30am, but the incident delayed its takeoff until 11am. (TNA)