A China Airlines Boeing 737-800 became stuck at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on the evening of Wednesday 28 October.
The jet was lining up for departure to Kaohsiung in Taiwan when the runway surface gave way beneath its main landing gear.
As a result, airport teams closed one of Bangkok’s runways for several hours while they freed the jet.
Meanwhile, 116 passengers spent an unexpected night in the Thai capital.
What Happened at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
The aircraft, registered B-18665, was operating flight CI840 with 116 passengers and eight crew on board.
According to The Aviation Herald, the crew had taxied onto runway 02R and were preparing for takeoff.
The main gear then broke through the surface and sank into the ground below.
With the gear trapped on the Bangkok runway, the 737 became immobilised. It could no longer move forward for its departure.
Nation Thailand reports that the event happened at around 19:20 local time. The aircraft had entered runway 02R from taxiway E21 shortly beforehand.
The Aircraft Involved
B-18665 is a Boeing 737-800 with manufacturer serial number 62689.
The Taiwanese flag carrier flies the type on short and medium haul routes across Asia.
Those services include the link between Kaohsiung and Bangkok.
Readers can view the full airframe history for B-18665 on Planespotters.
Runway Closure Disrupts Bangkok Departures
Authorities kept runway 02R at Bangkok closed while recovery teams worked around the stranded jet.
Crews eventually moved the 737 back onto safe pavement around five hours later. Engineers then repaired the damaged section before the runway could return to service.
The blockage also caught four departures that had been queuing on the taxiway behind CI840.
In total, Nation Thailand says five flights suffered delays of around two hours. China Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietjet were among the carriers affected.
Heavy Rain Behind the Runway Failure
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport has shared preliminary findings from its investigation.
Officials believe recent heavy rainfall pushed groundwater levels higher beneath the airfield.
That water then eroded material below the runway surface.
Eventually, the weakened structure could not support the weight of the aircraft and failed.
This type of failure is particularly hard to spot.
Erosion beneath the pavement can leave the visible surface looking intact, even while the support underneath it disappears.
Therefore, a runway like the one in Bangkok can appear sound right up until a heavy aircraft rolls over the weak point.
Because the main gear carries the vast majority of a 737’s weight, it was always the likeliest part of the jet to break through.
Importantly, nothing in the preliminary findings points to a fault with the aircraft itself. Instead, the focus sits firmly on the condition of the ground beneath runway 02R.
Passengers Spend the Night in Bangkok
China Airlines arranged replacement flights for all 116 passengers.
In addition, the airline provided hotel rooms, meals and drinks while travellers waited for their onward journey.
According to Pattaya Mail, passengers began leaving Bangkok on replacement services on the morning of 29 October.
What Comes Next for Runway 02R
Temporary repairs are now complete.
However, the Ministry of Transport says engineers still need to carry out a further assessment before they finalise permanent repairs.
Nation Thailand also reports that the agencies responsible are reviewing the cause of the subsidence.
Furthermore, they are developing wider preventive measures to stop a repeat.
For Bangkok, the timing matters.
Suvarnabhumi is Thailand’s main international gateway, and heavy rain remains a regular feature of the wet season.
Consequently, airport operators will want firm answers on whether other sections of pavement face the same risk.
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