A commercial aircraft had to perform an unscheduled landing after one of its wheels detached during take-off.
Passengers on board raised the alarm by shouting about the missing wheel, which was observed rolling along the runway. Airport personnel quickly retrieved the wheel and several metal rings.
The aircraft, belonging to SpiceJet and equipped with a tricycle landing gear system, managed to reach its intended destination without further issues despite the initial scare.
The incident took place at Kandla Airport in Gujarat, India, on September 12. The plane safely landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, where emergency crews were on standby as a precaution.
Upon landing at 3:51 pm, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the terminal unassisted. Thankfully, all passengers and crew members were unharmed, and airport operations resumed promptly.
This incident occurred shortly after another SpiceJet flight encountered a possible tailpipe fire at Delhi airport, leading to a substantial delay. The airline confirmed that the affected flight to Kathmandu was held back as a safety measure following indications of a tailpipe fire on another grounded aircraft.
In a separate incident earlier in the year, an Etihad plane bound for Abu Dhabi with nearly 300 passengers had to abort take-off due to two wheel explosions. The aircraft, flight EY461, was grounded at Melbourne Airport with emergency services applying foam to the landing gear for precautionary measures.
No injuries were reported in either incident. An Etihad Airways spokesperson clarified that the aborted take-off was due to technical reasons, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew members.
Repairs were initiated at Melbourne Airport, where operations were consolidated to a single runway for arrivals and departures. Passengers were safely transported to the terminal as the aircraft underwent maintenance. Flight disruptions were minimal as efforts continued to rectify the situation.