Saudi Airlines flight averts disaster

A Saudi Airlines flight from Riyadh deployed inflatable slides to disembark passengers after its one landing gear caught fire while landing at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan Airport on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

According to the spokesperson, fire and rescue services at the airport moved swiftly to put out the fire, hence preventing a major air disaster. All the 276 passengers and 21 crew members got off the plane safely, the spokesperson added.

During the plane’s approach for landing, the air traffic controller (ATC) spotted smoke and sparks emanating from the left landing gear of the Saudi Airlines’ flight 792.

The ATC immediately alerted the pilot and summoned the fire and rescue services, the spokesperson said.

“The fire tenders acted timely and immediately controlled the fire in the landing gear and saved the plane from a major accident. All 276 passengers and 21 crew members disembarked from the plane safely through the inflatable slide,” he added.