Rear Wheel Vanishes: Airbus Probes PIA A320 Emergency Landing

Airbus has reached out to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) following the emergency landing of one of its flights at Lahore Airport, which landed without one of its rear wheels.

The incident has sparked a technical investigation by the aircraft manufacturer, as they seek to understand what went wrong. According to sources, Airbus has formally requested a detailed report from PIA about the Airbus A320 involved—registered as AP-BLS—which was operating as Flight PK-306 at the time of the incident.

In addition to the report, Airbus has asked for a comprehensive set of data, including the aircraft’s flight records from the past three months, pre-flight checklists, and in-depth details about the landing gear system. They’re also looking into other technical aspects of the plane to piece together what might have caused the wheel to go missing. It’s a thorough approach, as you’d expect from a company that prioritizes safety and precision.

The incident itself happened on Wednesday night when Flight PK-306 touched down at Lahore Airport. It was only after landing that the crew realized one of the rear wheels was missing. Imagine the surprise—landing safely only to discover something so critical had gone unnoticed until then.

Despite an extensive search over the past three days, the missing wheel still hasn’t been found. The focus has been around Karachi Airport, where it’s believed the wheel may have detached, but so far, no luck. PIA’s management has been unable to track it down, leaving everyone scratching their heads about how something like this could happen.

Meanwhile, the Board of Safety Investigation has launched its own independent probe into the matter. They’re looking at everything from safety protocols to potential technical malfunctions that could have contributed to the incident. It’s a multi-layered investigation, and rightly so, because when it comes to aviation safety, there’s no room for error.

As the investigations unfold, the focus is on ensuring that any underlying issues are identified and addressed to prevent something like this from happening again.

PIA has assured the public that they’re fully cooperating with both Airbus and the safety investigators. After all, passenger safety is the top priority, and incidents like this are a stark reminder of how important it is to get every detail right.

It’s a curious case, though—how does a wheel just go missing? You’d think something like that would be noticed sooner, but aviation is full of complexities. For now, all eyes are on the investigations, and hopefully, they’ll provide some answers soon.