Airline covers name and logo on crashed plane to protect image

Thai Airways covered up the airline"s logo and name on one of its planes after it crashed while landing, in a bid to protect its image.

The Airbus 330-300 skidded off the runway at Bangkok"s main airport after its landing gear malfunctioned and 13 people were injured while evacuating the plane.

After the accident, workers on a crane blacked out the Thai Airways logo on the tail and body of the aircraft.

Airline official Smud Poom-On said it was following the guidelines issued by the Star Alliance group of airlines.

He said said ‘blurring the logo" after an accident was a recommendation from Star Alliance known as the ‘crisis communication rule".

It is meant to protect the image of both the airline and other members of Star Alliance, the official explained.

The flight from Guangzhou, China, was carrying 288 passengers and 14 crew members and was the second mishap in less than two weeks for Thailand"s national carrier.

‘After touchdown at Suvaabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway," Thai Airways president Sorajak Kasemsuvan said in a statement.

‘Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation."

Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon said it was too early to comment on what caused the accident.

He said Airbus has dispatched a team of experts to Bangkok to aid in the investigation.

Photos taken after the incident showed deep furrows from skid marks in a grassy area off the runway, and the aircraft resting with its nose down and emergency slides inflated.