PIA flight lands safely at Lahore airport despite missing rear wheel

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) domestic flight landed on the Lahore airport with one of its wheels missing, an official said on Friday.

However, no untoward accident was reported due to the Thursday morning incident, the official said.

One of the rear wheels of PIA flight PK-306, which left from Karachi for Lahore, was missing when it landed at the Lahore airport, the official said.

An investigation has been initiated into the incident, a PIA official told PTI.

He added it was being probed whether the aircraft left Karachi with the "missing wheel" or got detached and fell during the take-off.

He said some fragments of the wheel were found at the Karachi airport.

"It appears that one of the rear wheels was in shabby condition when the aircraft took off," the official said.

A PIA spokesperson said the PK-306 made a "smooth and uneventful landing" as per the schedule.

"Passengers disembarked as per routine. During a walk-around inspection by the aircraft captain, it was revealed that one out of the six-wheel assemblies on the main landing gear (rear) is missing," he said.

"As per the standard flight practices, the matter was taken up by PIA flight safety and the Lahore airport teams who are investigating the matter and will submit their report later," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said the aircraft was designed looking into these contingencies and that no risk was posed to the equipment and the passengers.

He said the investigation team would also probe whether the wheel was stolen, whose chances are otherwise slim.