PIA flight lands in Lahore without a tyre, sparking safety concerns

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 landed safely in Lahore despite losing a tyre mid-flight, triggering an investigation into the incident.

Flight PK-308, which departed from Karachi to Lahore, reportedly completed its journey without the missing rear tyre being detected until after landing.

The flight touched down at 10 PM, and it was only after the aircraft taxied to its designated position that officials noticed the missing tyre. Lahore's Air Traffic Control Office (ATCO) promptly alerted Karachi airport authorities, who later found a portion of the tyre shaft on the Karachi runway. However, the missing tyre itself remains unaccounted for, despite an extensive 14-hour search across both airports.

A PIA spokesperson stated that the aircraft departed Karachi with all tyres intact, and preliminary findings suggest the detachment could have been due to a collision with a foreign object on the runway. The pilots were reportedly unaware of the missing tyre during flight operations, as the aircraft landed and taxied normally in Lahore.

A team from PIA’s Flight Safety Department has arrived in Lahore to conduct a detailed technical investigation into how the aircraft managed to complete its journey with compromised landing gear. Additionally, aviation safety and investigation authorities have launched their own inquiry into the incident and runway inspection procedures at Karachi airport.

Aviation experts emphasize that modern Airbus A320 aircraft are designed with redundancy systems, allowing them to land safely even with certain mechanical failures. However, this incident has raised serious concerns about pre-flight safety checks and runway monitoring protocols.

 Reporter: Saeed Ahmed