Plane makes emergency landing after malfunction

The plane skidded off the runway after the faulty landing gear caused a tyre to burst, according to initial reports

LAHORE:

At least 10 passengers were slightly injured on Tuesday when the fuselage and rear tyres of a Shaheen Air plane sustained heavy damage during an emergency landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport.

The plane skidded off the runway after the allegedly faulty landing gear caused a tyre to burst, according to initial reports. Some of the passengers rushed out of the plane through emergency exits the moment the plane came to a standstill.

The Karachi-Lahore flight NL-142 was carrying more than 200 passengers, an airport official said.

The injured were provided with immediate medical treatment.

Aviation authorities and the fire brigade reached the spot in a timely manner and helped the passengers disembark from the aircraft.

A passenger aboard the plane told reporters that he felt as if the aircraft was about to crash during the landing. He claimed that the tyre of the aircraft had broken off during landing.

Another passenger said that, “Due to heavy shocks because of imbalance of the flight, luggage from the overhead cabins also fell on the passengers. An official of Shaheen Air International said the while the aircraft was checked before the flight according to standard procedures the airline would still conduct its own investigation into the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2015.