But it was only flat on the bottom sir
Passengers on Kulula flight MN 102 from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Monday had to disembark before take-off and were delayed by almost two hours when engineers found that the nosewheel was deflated.
The 137 passengers and six crew members had to wait while all three tyres were removed and new ones put on.
Spokesperson Stuart Cochrane said that the tyres were checked before each aircraft's first flight every day.
However, engineers could only check subsequently whether the tyres were adequately pressurised once the aircraft was fully laden with passengers and fuel.
Changing the tyres required jacking the aircraft up, which is why it took as long as it did, he said.
All three tyres were replaced as a safety precaution because undue stress might have been placed on one of the others. - Staff Reporter