The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) stated that the lost wheel of Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) Flight PK-306 had been found near the isolated parking space at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn reported.
Missing wheel found in airport
PIA Flight PK306, an Airbus A320
registered as AP-BLS, departed from Karachi on Wednesday night, Flightradar24 data shows. Dawn reported that there were 104 passengers on board. The flight captain discovered that one of the aircraft’s six wheels was missing during a regular walk-around check after it arrived in Lahore. PCAA authorities said wheel shop technicians found the missing wheel at the departed airport, close to the landing gear of a grounded Boeing 777
.
According to preliminary estimates, the wheel may have come loose during the departure from Karachi. Dawn reported that this incident had already been brought up to PIA’s Flight Safety and Bureau of Air Safety investigation teams for investigation. The reports have yet to be submitted. The Board of Safety Investigation (BSI) is also conducting a separate inquiry into the matter. The incident has forced PIA to evaluate its maintenance protocols.
“The missing wheel of PK-306 has been located successfully. The wheel was found near the remote parking bay of Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, adjacent to the Ispahani Hangar,” a spokesperson for the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) said on Friday. “Technicians from the airport’s wheel shop discovered the tire next to the landing gear of a grounded Boeing 777.“
Airbus and PIA launched separate investigation
Airbus
also contacted PIA regarding the rear wheel detachment, according to Pakistan’s 24 News. Airbus has requested a report from PIA on the aircraft AP-BLS, as well as the aircraft’s three-month flying data record, a comprehensive checklist, and technical reports about the state and repair of the landing gear system. The manufacturer has started its own technical inquiry into the incident.
There was a chance that the wheel of the A320 aircraft may have come loose during takeoff and fallen off at the Isphani Hanger, an anonymous official source told Dawn. “Had the required inspection by the engineering team of the aircraft been properly conducted, the plane might not be cleared for departure,” the official said.

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The official source mentioned that while it appears to be a serious mistake by PIA’s maintenance team, a wheel coming off during takeoff is not unheard of. Some foreign airlines have had similar incidents, the source added.
Flight Aware data shows that the airplane took off at Karachi, Pakistan, around 20:00 and landed at Lahore, Pakistan, at 21:17. It arrived 28 minutes ahead of schedule.
Photo: Mike Fuchslocher | Shutterstock
Government to complete PIA privatization
The Airbus A320 involved in the incident is 18 years old, data from Planespotters.net shows. PIA currently operates 32 planes, including 17 A320s, 12 Boeing 777s, and three ATRs. The government of Pakistan announced earlier this month that it would finish all the procedures required to privatize the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation in three months.
“The government has addressed all concerns of the parties interested in buying the national flag carrier and decided to make changes as per their preferences. A new roadmap is being developed to make PIA more attractive for the prospective buyers, and it is expected that all stages of this process will be completed within three months,” the government said, according to Dawn.

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The change will have an adverse impact on Pakistan International Airlines.
In contrast to the minimum anticipated price of Rs 85 billion, PIA only received Rs 10 billion from the sole bidder for a stake in the national airline on October 31 of last year, putting the government’s privatization plan in jeopardy, Pakistan’s newspaper The Nation reported.