SpiceJet aircraft loses wheel during take-off, lands safely
A SpiceJet aircraft lost a wheel during takeoff from Kandla but safely landed in Mumbai, prompting a full emergency response. All onboard were safe.
New Delhi:
One of the landing gear’s wheels of a SpiceJet aircraft with 75 people on board detached as the jet departed from Kandla for its journey to Mumbai on Friday, triggering a full emergency at its destination where it eventually made a safe landing.
The wheel that separated was one of two on the right rear landing gear, and it came to light when the Kandla air traffic control spotted an object dropping from the plane immediately after take-off. Officials confirmed the fallen wheel and metal rings were later recovered from the runway.
“Kandla ATC saw something falling down immediately after the flight’s departure. They then told the pilot and sent the ATC jeep to fetch the fallen item,” an Airports Authority of India official said.
A video shot by one of the passengers on board shows the crucial moment, with the person recording it heard repeatedly exclaiming in disbelief: “wheel nikal gaya (the wheel has come off)”.
At Mumbai, fire tenders and rescue teams waited on high alert as the flight, SG-2906, arrived. It landed safely on Runway 27 at 3:51 pm.
“An aircraft from Kandla made an emergency landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after reporting a technical issue. A full emergency was declared as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 27, and all passengers and crew are safe. Normal operations resumed shortly after,” a CSMIA spokesperson said.
Airport operations were briefly impacted during the emergency response.
The plane involved was a Bombardier Q400, a jet typically used for short-distance regional flights. The flight duration from Kandla to Mumbai is of little over an hour. It was grounded after the incident.
An official who asked not to be named said the incident did not end in a more serious outcome because the wheel separated just as the plane lifted off the ground. “Fortunately, the landing gear was retracting because of which it was able to land safely,” this person explained, asking not to be named.
SpiceJet confirmed the incident in a statement: “On September 12, 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.”
Aviation experts emphasised the seriousness of the incident while acknowledging the safety systems that prevented disaster.
“Wheel coming off is a serious incident but since the wheel assembly has two wheels, and one was attached it saved the day,” a former Directorate General of Civil Aviation official said, asking not to be named. “But if one came out, the other could have come out too.”
A former airline official, speaking anonymously, suggested the pilot’s decision-making was sound: “This is a serious incident and that’s why the pilot must have decided to land in Mumbai rather than landing back in Kandla. They must have thought that Mumbai is equipped with longer runway which is better to land at such difficult moments.”
The incident adds to recent technical issues faced by SpiceJet aircraft. In July, a window frame of a SpiceJet aircraft operating from Goa to Pune came off mid-air during flight.
The airline has faced several operational challenges in recent months, raising questions about maintenance protocols and aircraft safety standards.
