Pax gripes
09/09/06
Ten passengers were injured when a Qatar Airways pilot decided to abort takeoff from Madrid's airport due to a suspected landing gear fault, airport officials said Saturday.
The pilot reported to the control tower that he was concerned about an unusual noise emanating from the plane's landing gear and decided to curtail his takeoff, slamming on the brakes and causing one tire to overheat, an airport spokeswoman said.
Airport emergency services attended the plane on the runway as passengers were evacuated rapidly. Ten suffered cuts and bruising, though one passenger was reported by medical service Samur to have broken a leg.
Around 30 passengers were treated for panic attacks, Samur said. The injured were taken to three Madrid hospitals.
The aircraft, which had been due to take off for Doha, Qatar, was taken to a hangar for a mechanical examination.
The incident did not affect the airport, which continued normal operations, the spokeswoman said. It was not known when the flight to Doha would resume. Qatar Airways was not available for comment.