Mumbai Airport Declares Full Emergency After SpiceJet Snag: What Does It Mean?

Mumbai: A SpiceJet Q400 aircraft, operating a flight from Kandla to Mumbai, safely landed at its destination despite having lost one of its outer wheels during takeoff from Kandla Airport, Gujarat. The incident prompted authorities at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to declare a full emergency as a precautionary measure.

The wheel was discovered on the runway at Kandla Airport after the aircraft had departed. The plane continued its journey to Mumbai and executed a safe landing using its remaining wheels. 

Here's what we know about the incident so far: 

1. A SpiceJet Q400 aircraft lost one of its outer wheels during takeoff from Kandla Airport in Gujarat.
2. The detached wheel was discovered on the runway during a subsequent inspection at Kandla Airport.
3. The aircraft continued its flight to Mumbai using its remaining wheels.
4. The pilot was not initially aware of the issue. Air Traffic Control (ATC) informed the pilot of the missing wheel approximately 20 minutes before the scheduled landing in Mumbai.
5. The aircraft dumped fuel over a safe area before initiating its landing approach as a standard precautionary procedure.
6.  Fire tenders and rescue teams were kept on high alert at Mumbai airport. The flight, however, landed safely at 4 PM.
7. The aircraft executed a safe landing in Mumbai using its back wheels. All 80 passengers on board were reported safe.
8. Following the landing, passengers remained seated at the Mumbai airport (BOM) terminal.
9. A full emergency was declared at Mumbai International Airport at 3:30 PM as a standard safety protocol. All departures were placed on hold until 5:00 PM. 

Following this incident, a SpiceJet spokesperson, in a statement, said, "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. Following a smooth landing, the aircraft taxied to the terminal under its own power, and all passengers disembarked normally."

Full Emergency Declared: What Does It Mean? 

An "emergency at an airport" is any dangerous situation threatening the safety of aircraft, passengers, or airport operations, which can include aircraft malfunctions (like engine failure or component failure), medical emergencies, security threats (such as bomb threats or hijacking), or infrastructure issues like fires and natural disasters.

A full emergency was declared at 3:30 pm at Mumbai Airport. All departures on hold till 5 pm. Looking at the severity of the incident Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is likely to intervene in the investigation of the Spicejet missing wheel incident. SpiceJet to submit the incident occurrence report by the End of the day to DGCA.
 

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