KQ loses wheel in flight
 

Local press and rumours are carrying the following story.....

[B]KQ plane loses wheel in air but lands safely[/B] Passengers aboard a Kenya Airways plane had a harrowing experience yesterday afternoon when their aircraft landed in Nairobi without one of its tyres.

The plane, KQ701 flew from Harare to Nairobi but had lost the tyre while still in the Zimbabwean skies moments after taking of from Harare International Airport.

The pilots flew the aircraft to Nairobi, a three-hour direct flight, and landed safely in Nairobi. Emergency crews had been mobilised at Kenyatta International Airport and at one time sections of Mombasa road near the airport were closed to prepare for the arrival.

Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni said the plane a Boeing 737-300 KQD had 96passengers and 7 crew. He did not identify which tyre had dropped off but affirmed that all passengers were safe.
"Passengers and the crew disembarked from teh aircraft safely without any reporrted injuries" he said in a statement, adding that the airport emergency crews had preapred to receive the plane. The plane landed at JKIA at 4:09pm as scheduled. He said the passengers were calm during the entire period, but underwent a counselling session based on the airlines's safety procedure.

Kenya Airways said it was collaborating with the Kenya Civil Aviation AUthority to investigate the nature of the incidence. KCAA public relations confirmed the investigations.
Does anyone have any more information on what happened or why?

heard it didn't fall off, but was robbed for Air Zim spares while refueling.

a de-thread perhaps rather than "losing a wheel"??

What's so unusual about losing wheels on take-off? Geez, in Canada, we have SOPs for this, it's normal procedure every spring.

But, losing a float - well, that would be serious.

Losing the wheels...
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a.../LostWheel.jpg

Bog off Mr M. You're making me drool on my shirt.

Not the first time
 

My parents had the doubtsome experience to see the KQ 757 taking off from Bujumbura in July 1990 with me in it. A second or two after rotation - one of the main wheels came jumping down the runway.

It was a flight to Kigali and when arriving overhead Kigali - still at cruise level we were informed that there was a problem "with one of the tyres".
After another 20 minutes of flying we landed in Kigali, and spend 8-9 hours there waiting for a new wheel and repair.
It was the entire wheel - rim and tyre - on the right main gear that was gone - I saw it myself.

Anyway the repair was done and we managed to get to Nairobi in time to catch our connecting flight to London.

also happened last year to Safair freighter B737, and only discovered after it parked in CapeTown, not even the crew were aware of it until the ground engineer asked them if they are aware that one of the main wheels was missing.

Up till now I don't think it has been found....somewhere between JNB and CPT

It happens...about 4 years ago a DC-9-32F lost a mainwheel on landing at FALA-it rolled up an embankment, across a taxiway, through a metal fence and through P&W's metal hangar wall.Missed a guy in there by metres. I've had a wheel fall off on the taxi-pax noticed as it wasn't properly off, just hanging by hydraulic lines and being dragged along, making sparks.

A Falcon Cargo 1900 in DXB had a wheel fall off in flight too...Its not that uncommon.

Oh and JEP-KQ never had 757s...:confused:

Ah, but they did have a 757 for a while, late 80's early 90's I think!:ok:

Crew did a good job
 

A mate of mine was on the flight, He said the crew were very informative and calm, according to them they did a very good job!:D

KQ 757
 

Just to support the statement:

5Y-BGI -

Photos: Boeing 757-23A Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

it now flies for Iceland Air as a freighter TF-FIE and I actually saw it in Billund, Denmark last year.

But they never had 757s - just that single one.

...the wheel was robbed...
 

I R Pirate, your a bastard....well, a nice one !!!