Lucknow: A major tragedy was narrowly avoided at Lucknow Airport early Sunday morning (June 15) when a Saudia Airlines flight carrying Hajj pilgrims developed a serious wheel glitch during landing.
Sparks and smoke erupted from the aircraft’s wheel upon touchdown, prompting an emergency response on the runway.
250 Pilgrims Safe After Emergency Response
Flight SV 3112, which had taken off from Jeddah at 10:45 pm the previous night, was carrying 250 Hajj pilgrims and crew members. The incident occurred around 6:30 am as the aircraft landed and began taxiing on the runway.
According to sources, sparks and smoke were clearly visible from one of the aircraft’s wheels as it touched down. The pilot acted swiftly, bringing the aircraft to a complete halt on the runway. Within minutes, the airport’s fire and rescue team was deployed, and the situation was brought under control within 20 minutes. No injuries were reported, and all passengers were safely deboarded.
Have a look at some visuals of the flight after it landed at Lucknow airport:
Hydraulic Leak Suspected, Experts Raise Red Flags
A preliminary investigation indicates a possible hydraulic system leak as the cause of the malfunction. Aviation experts have pointed out that although the issue occurred during landing, when speeds are comparatively lower, it could have been catastrophic had it taken place during the takeoff.
The incident has triggered renewed concerns about aircraft maintenance and operational safety, especially after recent the devastating crash of Air India’s London-Ahmedabad flight AI 171. That crash killed all 241 people on board, along with at least 30 people on the ground, as per reports.
