A full emergency was declared at Mumbai Airport for an incoming SpiceJet flight which had dropped one of its main wheels at Kandla Airport during take-off. The pilots made a safe emergency landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) with only three main wheels preventing any untoward incident.
Incident During Take-Off at Kandla
On Friday, a SpiceJet flight SG-2906 departed from Kandla, on its daily scheduled route, for Mumbai but dropped one of its four main rear wheels soon after take-off. The turboprop aircraft Q400, officially named the De Havilland Dash 8-400, is equipped with two front wheels and four rear wheels, the landing gear, one of which fell from the aircraft on the runway.
ATC Alerted Pilots of Wheel Loss
According to sources, the air traffic control (ATC) observed the wheel dropped on tarmac and duly informed the pilots about it. However, the pilot decided to continue the journey to Mumbai, where the ATC was informed about the situation and a full emergency was declared at the airport to be prepared for any untoward incident during the flight’s landing with one missing wheel.
However, the pilots skillfully landed the aircraft safely at Mumbai Airport at 3.51pm. While all the passengers and crew disembarked safely, the aircraft was sent for a full checkup and the airlines has started an internal enquiry into the incident, sources told The Free Press Journal.
Passengers Disembark Without Trouble
“An outer wheel of a SpiceJet Q400 aircraft operating from Kandla to Mumbai was found at the runway after take-off. The aircraft continued its journey to Mumbai and landed safely. Following a smooth landing, the aircraft taxied to the terminal under its own power, and all passengers disembarked normally,” said a SpiceJet spokesperson.
A spokesperson from CSMIA also acknowledged the incident and said that full emergency was declared as a precaution after the aircraft reported a technical glitch. “The aircraft landed safely on Runway 27, and all passengers and crew are safe. Normal operations resumed shortly after,” said the spokesperson.
