The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said that the lost wheel of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Flight PK-306 had been found near the isolated parking space at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn reported.
PIA Flight PK306, an Airbus A320 registered as AP-BLS, departed from Karachi on Wednesday night, Flightradar24 data shows. There were 104 passengers on board. The flight captain discovered that one of the aircraft's six wheels was missing during a regular walk-around check after it arrived in Lahore. PCAA authorities said wheel shop technicians found the missing wheel at the departed airport, close to the landing gear of a grounded Boeing 777.
According to preliminary estimates, the wheel may have come loose during departure from Karachi. This incident has already been brought up to PIA's Flight Safety and Bureau of Air Safety investigation teams for review. The reports have yet to be submitted. The Board of Safety Investigation (BSI) is also conducting a separate inquiry into the matter. The incident has forced PIA to evaluate its maintenance protocols.