KARACHI: One of the tyres of a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft burst during take-off from Gwadar, but it landed safely at Karachi airport on Saturday evening with 60 passengers on board.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah H Khan told Dawn that everything was “Ok” before the flight — PK-504 — that took off from Gwadar. “But when the plane departed, the control tower informed the crew that they have found a rubber piece on the runway, which can be a tyre piece or some other object so they take care of it.”

He said that when the flight landed at Karachi airport, one of the tyres was deflated and damaged. “The reason is yet to be ascertained because a proper investigation would be held just like after every major and minor incident.”

He said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) would investigate the incident as per normal practice. “There was an object which damaged the tyre, or the runway was rough or any other material issue, whatever the reason was, it will be ascertained after the final report.”

Sources said that an emergency was declared at the airport, but the plane made a normal landing. There were 60 passengers onboard PK-504, an ATR aircraft.

The plane was due to depart for Sukkur, but the flight was cancelled due to deflated tyre, they added.

Published in Dawn,June 7th, 2022