HUBBALLI: Passengers suffered anxious moments after the Kannur-Hubballi flight experienced a double nosegear tyre burst while landing on Monday evening at Hubballi Airport. Luckily none of the passengers and crew members suffered any injuries in the incident.
The Indigo ATR operating 6e-7979 flight was heading to Hubballi from Kannur Airport in Kerala. It was supposed to land at Hubballi Airport at 8:03 pm. However, due to bad weather following high wind and rain, the craft was not able to land and the first attempt of landing was failed. On its second attempt to land at 8.33 pm, the aircraft suffered a tyre burst while landing.
According to sources, the craft was scheduled from Kannur in Kerala to Hubballi and from Hubballi to Bengaluru. There were five passengers and four crew members on board and no one suffered any injuries. After the incident, the runway was blocked for maintenance till Tuesday at 8 am. Later it was opened for flight operations.
Hubballi Airport director Pramod Kumar Thakre said due to heavy wind the aircraft was forced to make a hard landing that led to the tyre burst. Except some scratches, there is no major damage to the runway. The staff at the airport removed tyre parts and cleaned the area before reopening the runway for the Bengaluru-Hubballi flight to land on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday morning, the Indigo technical team arrived from Bengaluru for the maintenance of a double nosegear tyre burst craft and initiated repair works. It is said the tyre has been replaced and other technical issues will be fixed by Wednesday and ferry flying will take place on Wednesday or Thursday.
The craft will not be allowed for passengers’ service until a technical team from Directorate General for Civil Aviation visit the craft for certification and it will take a week period or more, said sources.
Previous incidents in Hubballi
2015- In March 2015 a SpiceJet plane from Bengaluru skidded off the runway following heavy rain in Hubballi Airport. There were 74 passengers and 4 crew members and luckily no one hurt in that incident. After that incident, SpiceJet withdrew its service from Hubballi Airport till today
2018- In April 2018 a chartered flight carrying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had a rough landing in Hubballi. The plane suddenly tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body
2021- In June 2021, Indigo craft suffered a tyre burst on landing in Hubballi Airport