A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight successfully landed in Lahore despite missing one of its tyres, authorities revealed on Wednesday. The incident involving flight PK-308 from Karachi to Lahore has prompted multiple investigations.
Officials discovered that the Airbus A320 aircraft had completed its journey and landed at approximately 10 PM with one of its rear tyres missing. The absence was only noticed after the aircraft had already landed and taxied to its designated position at Lahore airport.
Following the discovery, Lahore Air Traffic Control Office (ATCO) alerted Karachi airport authorities, who subsequently located a portion of the tire's shaft on the runway. However, despite more than 14 hours of searching both airports, the missing tyre itself has not been recovered.
The aircraft, which bears APBLS registration, departed Karachi with all tyres intact according to initial reports. A PIA spokesperson stated that preliminary observations suggest the incident may have occurred due to "a possible collision with a foreign object on the Karachi runway."
"The aircraft made a normal landing and taxiing at Lahore airport," sources reported, indicating that the pilots may have been unaware of the missing tyre during flight operations.
A team from PIA has arrived in Lahore to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Additionally, officials from the Safety and Aviation Investigation departments have initiated their own inquiry into how the aircraft was able to complete its journey with compromised landing gear.
The PIA Flight Safety Department has launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of the tyre detachment and to review safety protocols. Aviation experts note that modern aircraft are designed with redundancy systems that allow for safe landings even with certain components damaged or missing.
The incident has raised questions about runway inspection procedures and pre-flight checks at Karachi airport. Authorities have not yet released information about the number of passengers aboard the flight or whether any alternative arrangements were made for their connecting travel.
