Shocking moment plane forced into emergency landing as wheel falls off

The flight, bound for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, continued as planned with fire crews on standby ready for an emergency landing as a precaution

A plane was forced to make an emergency landing^[1] when one of its wheels came off during take-off.

A terrified passenger captured the jaw-dropping moment from their window seat as travellers warned the cabin crew by shouting “a wheel has just fallen off.” It then rolled along the runway. Airport staff rushed to the scene and recovered the missing wheel along with several metal rings.

The SpiceJet aircraft, a Q400 turboprop with a tricycle landing gear system, has two nose wheels and four main landing wheels. Despite the dramatic start, the pilot carried on to the destination without further incident.

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The scary moment happened at Kandla Airport, Gujarat, India, on September 12. The plane continued safely to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, where crews were ready for an emergency landing as a precaution.

The pilot touched down at 3:51pm and taxied to the terminal without assistance. All passengers and crew were unharmed, and airport operations resumed shortly after, as reported by What’s The Jam.

The scare comes just a day after another SpiceJet flight experienced a suspected tailpipe fire at Delhi airport, causing a nearly seven-hour delay for flight SG041 to Kathmandu. The airline later confirmed it had returned to the bay as a safety measure after another plane on the ground showed signs of a tailpipe fire.

Earlier this year, an Etihad plane^[4] with almost 300 passengers on board was forced to abort take-off after two wheels exploded. Flight EY461, bound for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates^[5], was moments from take-off when the incident happened on Sunday evening. Footage taken at Melbourne Airport shows the Boeing 787 jet surrounded by fire trucks – and foam was applied on the landing gear as a precaution.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported and An Etihad Airways spokesperson said: “Etihad Airways flight EY461 from Melbourne (MEL) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) experienced a rejected take-off on 05 January 2025. The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution.

“Guests have been disembarked safely and our teams are working to enable them to continue their onward journeys as quickly as possible. Etihad Airways sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused.

“The safety and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority. The fire service applied foam to the tyres on the aircraft’s landing gear, which is a routine precaution following a high-speed rejected take-off.”

A Melbourne Airport spokesperson said repairs were being carried out, adding that one runway was being used for all arrivals and departures. The spokesperson said: “Etihad Airways flight EY461 rejected take off this evening when departing Melbourne Airport for Abu Dhabi. The Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Service responded to a request from the aircraft and deployed fire fighting foam as a precaution.

“Due to damage to the aircraft’s tyres, we have been unable to tow it off the runway. Repairs are currently underway. All passengers have disembarked the aircraft and have been bussed to the terminal. We continue to have one runway available for operations, which will be used for all arrivals and departures. Disruptions to other flights have been minimal.”