Passengers deplaning after a 14-hour trip from Dubai to Brisbane, Australia, on July 1 reportedly noticed a massive hole on the side of the airplane.
The Emirates flight on Airbus A380 suffered a ruptured tire due to a “technical fault,” according to the airline, CNN reported Wednesday.
“Was absolutely terrifying at first and the cabin crew knew something serious may have happened,” a professor at Loughborough University, who says he was on the flight, wrote on Twitter. He said the crew was in contact with the cockpit after noticing the occurrence. (RELATED: Pilot Shortage Spells Disaster For Small Airports, Regional Airlines)
“Shortly after, they resumed as normal. Their calm demeanour was reassuring – they knew it was not catastrophic.”
Emirates Airbus A380 (A6-EVK) departed rwy 30L at Dubai (OMDB), VAE on flight #EK430 to Brisbane, Qld, Australia where it landed safely. After landing, a large hole was seen in the left fuselage, allegedly coming from a detached bolt in the nosegear.https://t.co/o1EqBuJ0bA pic.twitter.com/s4p6tIpXDw
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) July 2, 2022
“Our flight EK430 flying from Dubai to Brisbane on July 1 experienced a technical fault,” Emirates said in a statement, according to CNN. “One of the aircraft’s 22 tires ruptured during cruise, causing damage to a small portion of the aerodynamic fairing, which is an outer panel or the skin of the aircraft.”
The airline says the damage has since been repaired.