PIA flight lands on one wheel at Lahore Airport
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight faced a rare incident upon
landing at Lahore Airport on Wednesday, March 12. The Airbus A320-200
(registration AP-BLS), operating as flight PK306 from Karachi, touched down on
only one main landing gear wheel.
PK306’s Unusual Landing
PK306 departed from Karachi Airport at 7:59 PM local time, slightly ahead of
schedule, and arrived safely in Lahore at 9:15 PM—30 minutes early. The flight
itself was routine, but post-landing inspections revealed that one of the rear
tires was missing.
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Despite the missing tire, the landing and taxiing phases proceeded without
issue, and the pilots were reportedly unaware of any malfunction. Over 24 hours
after the incident, authorities have yet to locate the missing tire, neither at
Karachi nor Lahore Airport.
Investigation Underway
The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan (CAA) has launched an investigation
into the incident. Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft may have struck an
object on the Karachi runway during takeoff, leading to the tire’s detachment.
PIA is cooperating with the CAA as the inquiry unfolds. The affected Airbus
A320 has been grounded, and its scheduled flight to Muscat (PK229) on March 13
has been canceled, according to Flightradar24.
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Aviation Safety Concerns
This is the second major safety investigation involving PIA in 2025. In
January, flight PK150 mistakenly landed on the wrong runway in Multan. The
latest incident raises further concerns about aviation safety in Pakistan,
where minor operational issues have become alarmingly frequent.
Source: https://aviationa2z.com/