On April 21st, 2024 a FlySafair Boeing 737 was forced to return to Johannesburg after losing its wheel on takeoff.
The Boeing 737-800 with registration ZS-FGE was operating flight FA212 from Johannesburg to Cape Town. During takeoff from runway 21R at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (FAOR), the aircraft’s left outer main gear wheel separated.
Following the separation of the wheel, the crew discontinued their climb at 22,000 feet and entered a holding pattern to burn fuel.
After roughly 190 minutes airborne, air traffic control visually confirmed the missing wheel. The pilots then executed a safe emergency landing back on runway 21R at OR Tambo International Airport.
Unfortunately, the landing resulted in further damage to the rim of the remaining wheel assembly.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew on board. The incident did, however, cause delays at the airport as crews worked to clear the runway.
Aviation authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident.
Featured Image via JACDEC