Biman flight lands safely after losing wheel mid-air

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight landed safely in Dhaka yesterday despite losing a wheel from its left side main landing gear shortly after take-off from Cox's Bazar.

The incident occurred moments after flight BG 436 took off from Cox's Bazar Airport at 2:19pm en route to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, said ABM Rawshan Kabir, general manager (public relations) of Biman.

The aircraft was carrying 71 passengers at the time.

"Biman's engineering department and the airport authorities had taken all preparations at the airport for the landing of the aircraft without one of the left wheels of the main landing gear. The passengers and the aircraft are safe," Rawshan told The Daily Star.

The flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:20pm without any incident, he added.

Biman authorities said the airline's engineering department will investigate the cause of the wheel detachment.

They have also formed a four-member probe committee in this regard.

Headed by Capt Enamul Haque Talukder, chief of flight safety at Biman, the committee was asked to submit a report within 15 working days, Rawshan said.

According to a senior pilot at Biman, a Dash 8-400 aircraft has six wheels, two at the front and two each on the right and left sides, which are called the main landing gear.

"After the Air Traffic Control of Cox's Bazar informed Capt Jamil Billah, pilot in command of the flight, about the loss of a wheel, the captain took the proper decision of landing at the Dhaka airport, where the emergency and safety facilities are the best compared to Chattogram or other airports," he said, wishing not to be namaed.

If the other wheel on the left side was damaged, it could cause more trouble for the pilot to land the aircraft safely, he added.

The senior pilot said such incidents are not rare in aviation, and the pilot in command of the flight was able to properly assess the situation and land the aircraft safely.

Biman authorities said the aircraft has been taken to a hanger and the airline's engineering department started investigating the cause of the wheel.