Watch: Plane’s rear wheel comes off during landing at Nepal airport

Aircraft rear right wheel came off during landing

A Sita Airlines aircraft carrying 16 people suffered a runway mishap while landing at Juphal Airport in Dolpa district of Nepal’s Karnali Province on Thursday after its rear right wheel came off, officials said.According to PTI, the aircraft was carrying 13 passengers and three crew members, including seven foreign nationals, when the rear right wheel came off during landing. The aircraft had taken off from Nepalgunj for Dolpa and came to a halt on the runway at around 8:25 am local time.“The small aircraft carrying 13 passengers and three crew members met with an accident right on the runway after its rear right tyre came off,” Anil Raj Giri, deputy superintendent of police at the District Police Office in Dolpa, told PTI.The pilot immediately switched off the engine after the incident, preventing any further mishap. All 16 people on board were safe, while the aircraft suffered no major structural damage, PTI reported.However, the aircraft remained stranded on the runway, forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations at Juphal Airport. A Nepali Army aircraft approaching the airport was also forced to turn back.According to PTI, repair work on the runway is underway, with authorities arranging to fly technicians by helicopter to clear the aircraft and restore normal flight operations.