On the 24th of June, passengers aboard Cathay Pacific Flight CX880 experienced a distressing situation at Hong Kong International Airport.
According to Reuters, as the aircraft was preparing for takeoff, it was discovered that one of the plane’s tyres had overheated, leading to a burst. The exact cause of the overheating is yet to be determined, but it resulted in the cancellation of the flight. The situation unfolded in the early morning, causing concern among the passengers and crew.
Due to the technical issue with the aircraft, Cathay Pacific took swift action and decided to evacuate the passengers. The 293 passengers and 17 crew members on board were guided to use the five-door escape slides for a safe exit. This evacuation procedure was carried out efficiently, ensuring the safety of everyone on board.
Regrettably, during the evacuation process, 11 passengers sustained injuries. According to reports, the injuries were a result of using the emergency slides.
The injured passengers, which included 10 women and 1 man between 29 to 77, were immediately transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
Following the incident, Cathay Pacific released a statement and emphasized their commitment to providing assistance to all affected individuals, including the passengers and crew. The airline’s top priority was to ensure the well-being and care of those involved.
Aviation incidents, although relatively rare, do happen from time to time. It is important to note that incidents like these are exceptions rather than the norm.
Recent aviation incidents
In another recent incident, a Scoot plane lost a wheel during landing in Taipei. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in that particular incident.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating flight TR897 from Seoul to Taipei, experienced a technical fault during landing on June 19. Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport witnessed the safe landing of the aircraft shortly after midnight.
The mishap was discovered when it became apparent that the left nose wheel of the aircraft was missing upon inspection.
Normally, the landing gear of this aircraft model consists of two wheels under the nose to facilitate maneuvering on the runway.
With over 300 passengers onboard, the flight was reported to have encountered abnormal tire pressure prior to descent.
Astonishingly, only the right nose wheel remained intact, while the metal rim of the left wheel had fallen off. Additionally, the left wheel shaft was found to be damaged.
The exact location of the missing wheel remains uncertain, as it was not recovered on the runway by Taoyuan International Airport Corporation.