Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Evacuated Safely After Landing Gear Smoke at Tribhuvan

(KATHMANDU, NEPAL) – Turkish Airlines evacuated all passengers and crew from an Airbus A330 after fire and smoke appeared from the aircraft’s right main landing gear during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday, May 11, 2026.

The flight had arrived from Istanbul carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members. No injuries were reported.

Gyanendra Bhul, spokesman for Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority, said “fire was visible during the landing” and all passengers were safely evacuated. Emergency crews brought the fire under control, and passengers left the aircraft using emergency slides.

Videos circulating on social media showed flames and smoke emerging shortly after touchdown. The aircraft remained on the runway area as airport and airline teams began their response.

The incident shut the only runway at Tribhuvan International Airport for nearly two hours. Multiple incoming flights faced disruption, with delays and diversions after Kathmandu’s main airport suspended runway operations.

Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Ustun said on social media that “smoke was observed coming from the landing gear during taxi.” He added that “initial examinations indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe.”

Initial accounts also pointed to a tire burst on the right landing gear. That detail placed attention on the landing gear assembly as Nepalese authorities and the airline’s technical teams began examining the aircraft.

The jet involved was an Airbus A330 operated by Turkish Airlines on its Istanbul-Kathmandu route. The aircraft landed in Nepal’s capital before the smoke and fire triggered the emergency response.

Airport closures at Tribhuvan International Airport can quickly affect traffic because the facility operates with a single runway. Nearly two hours of closure was enough to disrupt several arriving services and force schedule changes across the network of flights bound for Kathmandu.

Emergency teams responded on the airfield while the evacuation unfolded. Passengers exited on slides, and officials reported no injuries among those on board despite the visible fire and smoke.

Bhul’s account placed the first visible signs of trouble during landing, while Ustun said smoke appeared during taxi. Together, those statements outlined an incident that began around touchdown and continued after the aircraft reached the ground roll and taxi phase.

The distinction matters for investigators examining whether the problem began at the moment of wheel contact, during braking, or as the aircraft moved off the runway. A hydraulic pipe malfunction can affect systems tied to landing gear operation, and a tire burst can add heat, friction and visible smoke around the wheel area.

Nepalese authorities and Turkish Airlines technical teams were still investigating the incident as of May 12, 2026. The airline said its authorized teams had started a technical inspection of the aircraft.

Turkish Airlines also scheduled an additional flight for the return leg. That step allowed the carrier to maintain its Istanbul service while the damaged Airbus A330 remained under inspection in Kathmandu.

The incident ended without reported injuries, but it briefly halted operations at Nepal’s busiest international gateway and left investigators working through the sequence of smoke, visible fire and landing gear damage that followed the Turkish Airlines arrival from Istanbul.