VIDEO: SA plane makes emergency landing shortly after take-off
A wheel damage scare forced an emergency landing in Johannesburg.
A FlySafair flight destined for Cape Town from Johannesburg had to make an emergency return to Johannesburg on Sunday when one of its rear wheels was damaged during take-off.
As the flight took off, ground staff at OR Tambo reported witnessing damage to one of the aircraft’s rear wheels, writes News24.
WATCH: Brave dog from Richards Bay saves bunny from drowning
News outlets have reported that the heroic pilots and crew ensured a safe landing.
Take a look at the video indicating the exact moment the rear wheel damage ocurred:
@centralnewsza 🔴ICYMI🔴The wheel on a FlySafair flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town was damaged during take-off, forcing the aircraft to return to Johannesburg. In a statement, the airline reported that Flight FA212 had departed from OR Tambo International Airport as scheduled at 11:32 AM. The plane made a safe emergency landing at OR Tambo. 🎥Supplied #southafrica #news #newsstories #SAMA28 ♬ original sound - Central News
The airline stated that the plane changed its route to return to Johannesburg and circled near Parys to use up fuel, reducing the aircraft's weight before landing.
“This is standard procedure when there is no urgency to land, as it’s safer to land with a lighter fuel load, and modern Boeing 737 aircraft do not have the facility to dump fuel,” explained Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair, to IOL.
Kirby further mentions, "The aircraft passed overhead at approximately 13:20, and observers confirmed that one of the four rear wheels had come adrift during the take-off roll. The wheel affected was one of the two attached to the left rear landing strut.The aircraft proceeded into a second holding pattern over Centurion to burn away any remaining fuel before their final landing approach.”
Read More: Man attempts to stand for 7 days, quits after 4 hours
OR Tambo International Airport welcomed the plane back to safety at around 2pm accompanied by response vehicles as a precautionary measure.
Stay tuned for more, we will bring you the latest at East Coast Radio.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
More on East Coast Radio:
Image supplied