On March 12, 2025, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) domestic flight, identified as PK-306, completed a journey from Karachi to Lahore that has since sparked widespread concern and an urgent investigation. The Airbus A320-200, registered as AP-BLS, departed Jinnah International Airport in Karachi at 7:59 PM local time, a minute ahead of its scheduled departure. The flight proceeded without any reported anomalies, touching down at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at 9:15 PM, a full 30 minutes earlier than anticipated. To the pilots and passengers, the journey appeared uneventful—until a routine post-landing inspection revealed a startling discovery: one of the aircraft’s rear wheels was missing. This incident, occurring just two days before March 14, 2025, has raised serious questions about aviation safety protocols and maintenance procedures at one of Pakistan’s busiest air routes.
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The missing wheel was not detected during the flight, and the aircraft executed a smooth landing and taxied to its designated area without incident. It was only after the plane had come to a complete stop that the ground crew noticed the absence of one of the rear tires on the main landing gear. Initial reports confirmed that the tire had been intact when the plane departed Karachi, suggesting that the detachment occurred sometime during takeoff, flight, or landing. Following the discovery, Lahore’s Air Traffic Control notified authorities at Karachi, where a subsequent inspection uncovered part of the tire’s shaft on the runway. Despite extensive searches at both airports, spanning over 14 hours, the missing tire itself has not been located, deepening the mystery surrounding the event. Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and PIA’s Flight Safety Department swiftly launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of this unusual occurrence. Preliminary findings suggest that the wheel may have been dislodged by an external object striking the runway during takeoff in Karachi, a phenomenon known as Foreign Object Debris (FOD). Such incidents, while rare, can pose significant risks if not detected before departure. The CAA has emphasized that a detailed report is forthcoming, but early indications point to a possible fault on the Karachi runway or an external impact as the culprit. Meanwhile, PIA has grounded the aircraft involved and canceled its next scheduled flight to Muscat, Oman, on March 13, as a precautionary measure.
Aviation experts have noted that modern aircraft like the Airbus A320 are engineered with redundancy systems, allowing them to land safely even with certain mechanical failures, such as a missing wheel. This design likely contributed to the safe outcome of PK-306’s landing, as the pilots reported no irregularities during the approach or touchdown. However, the incident has reignited concerns about PIA’s operational oversight, especially given that it marks the airline’s second significant safety investigation of 2025. In January, another PIA flight, PK-150, landed on the wrong runway in Multan, prompting scrutiny of the airline’s training and procedural standards.
PIA has dispatched a specialized team to Lahore to conduct a thorough technical examination of the aircraft while safety and aviation authorities continue their parallel inquiries. The airline has assured the public that the plane’s design mitigated any immediate danger, but the focus now lies on understanding how such an oversight occurred and ensuring it does not recur. As investigators analyze flight data, maintenance logs, and runway conditions, the missing tire remains a glaring unanswered question. The outcome of this probe, expected to conclude in the coming weeks, will likely influence PIA’s safety protocols and could have broader implications for Pakistan’s aviation industry, which has faced international scrutiny in recent years. For now, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the complexities and risks inherent in air travel, even on routine domestic routes.