A full-scale emergency was declared at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday after a SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 aircraft, carrying 75 people, lost one of its wheels shortly after takeoff from Kandla, Gujarat. The flight, however, landed safely, preventing a major disaster.
Wheel Falls Off During Departure
The accident was first reported by air traffic control (ATC) at Kandla, which observed a huge, dark body dropping off the plane as soon as it took off. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) officer confirmed that ATC later informed the pilot and sent a vehicle to the runway, on which the wreckage of the dropped wheel and metal rings was retrieved.
A SpiceJet Q400 (Kandla–Mumbai) lost an outer wheel after take-off.
The aircraft landed safely in Mumbai, taxied to the terminal.#AviationSafety #SpiceJet#Mumbai pic.twitter.com/X0ZNMWTTqI
— Duddakunta Venkateswara Reddy (@DuddakuntaBJP) September 12, 2025
A DGCA official said in a past statement that the gravity of the incident cannot be undermined by the fact that the plane has a dual-wheel assembly that enabled a safe landing. The incident was a significant source of concern, she added.
Safe Landing And Passenger Disembarkation
In spite of the in-air terror, the pilot was able to bring down the plane safely at Mumbai at 4 PM. Firefighting units and rescue personnel had been put on high alert at the airport as a precautionary measure.
The plane was able to taxi to the terminal under its own power, and all 75 passengers left safely without any injuries or incident, according to a Mumbai airport spokesperson. A SpiceJet representative confirmed that the flight landed safely and all passengers exited normally.
A government airline official, who requested anonymity, hypothesized that the pilot would have wanted to proceed to Mumbai due to its longer runway, which is a safer place to land under such an adverse condition.
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