Karachi, March 13, 2025: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight narrowly avoided a major accident after it landed safely at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport with a missing wheel on Thursday.
Flight PK-306, traveling from Karachi to Lahore, completed its journey without any apparent issues, but a post-flight inspection revealed that one of its rear tires was missing.
Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) alerted Karachi Airport, where parts of a tire shaft were later discovered on the runway. However, authorities have yet to locate the missing wheel at either Karachi or Lahore airports.
Following the incident, a PIA investigation team arrived in Lahore to examine how the flight managed a normal landing despite the missing wheel. Initial reports indicate that all tires were intact at takeoff from Karachi, making the disappearance of the wheel a puzzling occurrence.
Some missing components were found on Karachi Airport’s runway, but the wheel itself remains unaccounted for.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan confirmed that the aircraft’s design allowed for a safe landing despite the missing wheel. He stated that PIA’s Flight Safety Department and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have initiated a formal investigation under aviation safety regulations.
Preliminary findings suggest that the wheel may have been damaged due to Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on Karachi’s runway, potentially leading to its detachment mid-flight. Further inspections will determine the exact cause of the missing wheel mystery.
The incident comes at a critical time for PIA, as the airline is working towards the revival of direct flights to the United States. A delegation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to visit Pakistan in mid-March for a final clearance inspection, which could pave the way for resuming direct PIA flights to the US.
