Investigation 'launched' after PIA flight lands with one wheel missing

KARACHI: The Airbus company has launched an investigation after Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane that landed at Lahore Airport with a missing wheel, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to sources, the company has contacted PIA and sought a comprehensive report on the aircraft’s technical aspects.

Airbus company has requested a complete report on the registered Airbus aircraft, including a three-month flight data record and a check list. The company has also asked for a report on the plane’s landing gear and other relevant details.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night when PIA flight PK-306 landed at Lahore Airport with one of its rear tires missing. Despite a three-day search, the missing wheel has yet to be found. The Board of Safety Investigation is already probing the incident.

Sources revealed that one of the rear tires of PK-306 flight was found missing during post-flight inspection.

Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) informed Karachi Airport where a part of the tire shaft was discovered.

However, authorities are yet to locate the missing tire either at Karachi or Lahore airport.

Following the incident, a team from PIA arrived in Lahore to probe the landing of the flight with one wheel missing.

According to initial reports, the PIA flight had all its tires intact during takeoff from Karachi, however, the plane made a normal landing with one wheel missing at Lahore Airport.

Some missing parts were found on Karachi Airport’s runway, but the one wheel missing remains the unsolved mystery so far.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan stated that the PIA flight landed safely in Lahore despite the missing wheel.

He added that the airline’s Flight Safety Department and the Civil Aviation Authority have launched investigations under aviation regulations.

Preliminary observations suggest that the wheel may have been damaged due to Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on Karachi’s runway. The aircraft’s design allowed for a smooth and safe landing despite the missing wheel.