A major scare unfolded at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Friday when a SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 aircraft carrying 75 people declared a full-scale emergency after losing a wheel during takeoff from Kandla in Gujarat.
Air traffic controllers at Kandla spotted an object falling from the plane shortly after departure and alerted the pilot. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official confirmed that the fallen wheel and metal rings were later recovered from the runway.
Rescue teams and fire tenders were placed on high alert in Mumbai ahead of the aircraft’s landing.
The flight, however, touched down safely at 4 p.m., taxied to the terminal, and passengers disembarked without incident.
Aviation experts noted that the wheel assembly’s dual-unit system likely prevented a disaster. Authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident.
