By Frank Kamuntu
A Boeing 737 had to make an emergency landing after one of its main wheels suddenly came off the plane during takeoff. The FlySafair flight made an emergency landing at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A dramatic video of the incident showed smoke bellowing from the wheel hub as the FlySafair flight, packed with passengers, landed on the runway. A huge bang was heard as the plane screeched along the path before finally coming to a halt. Images showed that the undercarriage and right wing partially collapsed.
Video and photos of the incident were shared on X with the caption, “A Boeing 737-800 lost a wheel while taking off from Johannesburg Airport (South Africa). Ground personnel identified the damage and informed the pilots. The plane returned and landed safely. No one was injured during the emergency, but there were flight delays at the airport. Earlier, an engineer who worked for ten years at Boeing said that hundreds of people could die if the company does not solve problems with the quality of its aircraft.”
One of the airline’s spokespersons said that the crew was alerted to the observation and the decision was taken to return to Johannesburg.
“The crew were alerted to the observation and the decision was taken to return to Johannesburg. Flight FA212 adjusted course back for Johannesburg and entered a holding pattern near Parys to burn off some fuel to lighten the aircraft for landing,” FlySafair spokesperson Kirby Gordon was quoted as saying by South African news outlet EWN Eyewitness News.
“FA212 adjusted course back for Johannesburg and entered a holding pattern near Parys to burn off some fuel to lighten the aircraft for landing,” Kirby Gordon told local media. The passengers were then loaded on a backup aircraft to Cape Town.
The incident comes at a time when Boeing is facing scrutiny from the US government since a door-plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. The company is under multiple investigations, and the FBI has told passengers from the flight that they might be victims of a crime.
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