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Nose-wheel falls off, plane makes emergency landing in India

by Sanjay Jha | October 9, 2008 at 08:45 pm | 240 views | 3 comments | 0 recommendations

This can happen only in India. In an example height of carelessness A-320 aircraft operated by an Indian carrier Go Air with 125 passengers onboard took off from Mumbai leaving one of its two nose-wheel on the tarmac but landed safely at the IGI Airport in New Delhi on Thursday Delhi amid full emergency conditions.

The flight operating between Delhi-Mumbai made an emergency landing with only rear nose wheels operating. Full emergency had been declared at the Delhi airport and the main runway was cleared for the safe landing of the plane.

A Delhi-bound Go Air flight with 117 passengers on board made an emergency landing at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Thursday afternoon after the aircraft developed a technical snag in its landing gear. All 123 on board, including six-member crew, were safe.
According to officials at Mumbai airport, one of the two nose-wheels of the plane came off when it was taking off. It was the bird watchers at the airport who first saw the nose-wheel fall from the plane, they said. “Our safety officers and bird scarers played a crucial role in alerting the Air Traffic Control and airline officials in time so that necessary action could be taken,” a spokesperson of the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said.

An airline official later said in Delhi: “The pilot noticed the problem mid-air and immediately informed the ATC. After consultation with both Mumbai and Delhi airports, it was decided that emergency landing conditions would have to be put in place.”

Accordingly, all arrangements — fire brigades, ambulances and other essential services — were made at the Delhi airport. The aircraft was asked to undertake a low-fly past as Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and Go Air engineers studied the damage from the runway.

While all passengers and crew touched down safely, two and haf hour period was probably the most dramatic of their lives. Their plane lost a tyre, then made a low pass over Delhi and hovered for almost 45 minutes to burn fuel before touching down on the runway as fire tenders and ambulances waited on standby.

While Indian government has ordered a probe into the incident but the nosewheel getting adrift during take off is an indication of sorry state of affairs of Indian airports. This also sends a message that some financially troubled airlines in India may not be paying enough attention to their mandatory maintence requirement.

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raj_thaxs (not verified)

at 19:08 on October 10th, 2008

Dont blame it on the country. Blame it on those lazy people or officials or business misers due to whom this might have turned into a big mishap.

Its always some one else pays for ones mistake and finally blames on the country. shame on them

Sanjiv (not verified)

at 05:47 on October 11th, 2008

Blame lies on part of Airlines callous maintainence staff. Imagine the situation if bird watchers had not informed in time and plane with missing wheel with fuel had attempted landing with no knowledge of missing parts. Engineers must face criminal negligence charges and mere suspension/termination is no solution.

Pilot's efforts for safe landing must be appreciated.

Ashok Chan from Patna (not verified)

at 09:32 on October 11th, 2008

This also happened in a Jet Blue flight in US in 2004. Actually the plane got its front wheel twisted badly while taking off and had to land in a way that least load is on the front tires.

Yes the maintenance has to be questioned as we can't risk 100s of lives just 'coz some staff forgot to fasten the lug nuts.