VietNamNet Bridge – Right after its landing at the Da Nang airport, a Vietnam Airlines ATR72 plane was detected to lose a wheel on the right.

The ATR 72 at Danang Airport after the incident. Photo: VNE

The aircraft, which flew from Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong city to Da Nang, landed safely at 2.15pm, October 21, with 41 passengers.

After the landing, technicians discovered that the aircraft had lost a right wheel. Also, a front axle was broken. According to Vietnam Airlines, this was a rare incident that occurred for the first time with an ATR - 72.

The authorities said they had launched forces to seek the lost wheel at both Cat Bi and Da Nang airports but they did not found the missing wheel. Thus, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said the plane wheel might fell outside the airports. The incident is being investigated.

According to Mr. Lai Xuan Thanh, CAAV director, this is a serious incident, although the plane landed safely.

The Vietnam Airlines spokesman also confirmed the incident, saying that the airlines immediately stopped using the entire fleet of ATR-72 for technical inspection.

This plane was manufactured in 2009 and put into use by Vietnam Airlines on 13/10/2009. The plane was last checked on 21/9/2013.

Also on October 20, an aircraft of Vietnam Airlines had to make urgent landing at Tashkent Airport of Uzbekistan to rescue a Russian passenger.

On the flight VN191 from Ho Chi Minh City to Moscow on October 20, a Russian passenger named Monakhov Dmitri, 57 suddenly vomited blood and could not move his limbs.

Vietnam Airlines' aircraft landed at the Tashkent Airport of Uzbekistan.

Flight attendants immediately performed first aid and asked for other passengers to help (asking whether one of them is a doctor) but no passengers could handle the case.

The aircraft of Vietnam Airlines had to make emergency landing in Uzbekistan to save the Russian passenger.

After the passenger was transferred to the medical staff at Tashkent airport, Vietnam Airlines aircraft had to refuel to continue the journey and landed at Moscow's Domodedovo airport at 9.38pm local time.

Because of the incident, the VN191 flight landed nearly four hours later than schedule. The return flight to HCM City was also nearly 3 ½ hours late. A source said the incident caused significant losses for Vietnam Airlines. However, the firm confirmed that the lives of the passengers are put on top so this is the priority solution in the similar situations.

P. Lan