Mumbai – A SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 aircraft carrying 75 passengers made a full-scale emergency landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday after one of its wheels fell off during departure from Kandla in Gujarat.
Officials confirmed that the incident occurred shortly after take-off when Kandla air traffic control (ATC) spotted an object falling from the aircraft. “The Kandla ATC saw something falling immediately after departure. They alerted the pilot and dispatched the ATC jeep to recover the fallen item,” an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. The wheel and metal rings were later retrieved from the runway.
The Mumbai airport placed fire tenders and rescue teams on high alert, but the flight landed safely at 3:51 PM. “Despite the mid-air scare, the aircraft taxied to the terminal on its own, and passengers disembarked without incident,” a CSMIA official confirmed.
SpiceJet also released a statement, saying, “On September 12, an outer wheel of a SpiceJet Q400 aircraft operating from Kandla to Mumbai was found at the runway after take-off. The aircraft continued its journey to Mumbai and landed safely. All passengers disembarked normally after a smooth landing.”
Aviation experts highlighted the seriousness of the incident. A former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official noted that while the aircraft could continue flying because the wheel assembly has two units, the risk was significant. “If one came out, the other could have followed,” he said. Another former airline official added that the pilot likely chose Mumbai over Kandla for its longer runway, which offered greater safety in such conditions.
The Mumbai airport confirmed in an official statement that a “full emergency” was declared as a precautionary measure following the technical issue. The flight landed safely on Runway 27, averting any mishap.
