KARACHI: Airbus has launched an investigation after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane landed at Lahore Airport with a missing wheel, news reported, citing sources.
Sources revealed that the company has contacted PIA and requested a comprehensive report on the aircraft’s technical aspects.
Airbus has requested PIA to provide a complete report on the registered Airbus aircraft, including a three-month flight data record and a checklist. The company has also sought details on the plane’s landing gear and other relevant technical aspects.
The incident took place on Wednesday night when PIA flight PK-306 landed at Lahore Airport without one of its rear tires. Despite a three-day search, authorities have not yet located the missing wheel. The Board of Safety Investigation has already started probing the incident.
Sources revealed that the post-flight inspection of PK-306 detected a missing rear tire. Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) notified Karachi Airport, where officials discovered a part of the tire shaft.
However, authorities have yet to find the missing tire at either Karachi or Lahore Airport.
After the incident, a PIA team reached Lahore to investigate the flight’s landing with one wheel.
Initial reports indicated that the aircraft had all its tires intact during takeoff from Karachi. However, it landed normally at Lahore Airport with one wheel missing.
Airport authorities found some missing parts on Karachi Airport’s runway, but the whereabouts of the missing wheel remain a mystery.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan confirmed that the flight landed safely in Lahore despite the missing wheel.
He stated that the airline’s Flight Safety Department and the Civil Aviation Authority have initiated investigations under aviation regulations.
Preliminary findings indicate that Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on Karachi’s runway may have damaged the wheel. The aircraft’s design enabled a smooth and safe landing despite the missing wheel.
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