Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has launched an investigation after a flight, PK 306, traveling from Karachi to Lahore, landed at Allama Iqbal International Airport without one of its wheels.
A PIA spokesperson stated that the issue was discovered during an inspection following the flight's landing at the airport, revealing that one of the rear tires was missing.
Sources revealed that despite over 14 hours passing since the flight's arrival, the missing tire has not been found at either Karachi or Lahore airports.
Reports indicate that the tire was present when the plane took off from Karachi, and the aircraft made a normal landing and taxied at Lahore airport. After receiving a notification from Lahore's Air Traffic Control (ATC), a part of the tire shaft was located at Karachi airport.
According to a statement released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), preliminary observations suggest that the incident may have occurred due to a possible external object striking the runway at Karachi.
In a statement, a PIA spokesperson confirmed that after the flight from Karachi landed in Lahore, one of the wheels was found to be missing. The PIA Flight Safety Department, along with CAA, immediately initiated an investigation into the matter.
The statement further added that while the final report will reveal the cause of the incident, initial findings indicate that the wheel might have been impacted due to a fault on the runway or some other external factor.
However, the aircraft made a smooth and safe landing in Lahore, and the plane’s design ensures that such an incident does not compromise aviation safety.
A PIA team was dispatched to Lahore to investigate the wheel-less landing. Safety and aviation authorities have also begun their inquiry into the incident.
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