Wheel falls off LATAM Airbus A319

LATAM BOEING 787-9 CC-BGD (CN 35233)

A LATAM flight travelling from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, RJ (SDU/SBRJ) to São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH/SBSP) diverted to São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU/SBGR) after the inner wheel of the left-hand main gear fell off. The pilot did a low pass to let the tower check the gear, before landing.

Initially, it was necessary to make a low pass over runway 10L of Guarulhos, for a visual check of the condition of the landing gear, as can be seen in the following audio, with the communications between the pilot and the air traffic controller. After the passage, the controller of the Guarulhos Tower reported that apparently the nose landing gear was correctly lowered and in place. The pilot then replied that the check was for the main landing gear.

Then, the controller reported that the main train also appeared to be correctly lowered, to which the pilot replied that the check was about a wheel loss that would have occurred on takeoff. She then said that it had not been possible to see the wheels correctly, and that she would ask for confirmation from the personnel who were in a support vehicle near the track.

In the subsequent minutes, the pilots positioned the Airbus A319 for a new approach for landing. The airport's emergency teams positioned their vehicles on the outskirts of the runway, as a standard preventive measure due to the emergency situation, under the pilot's "PAN PAN" declaration, which signifies the need for attention and priority, but without imminent risk to the safety of the aircraft or the people on board.

Despite the problem with the landing gear, the landing was completed safely, and the pilots taxied the plane normally to the apron, with the accompaniment of emergency vehicles, also as a standard measure for situations like this.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: LATAM Brazil

Code: JJ/TAM

Aircraft: Airbus A319-132

Registration: PT-TMO

Serial Number: 4563

Engine: 2 x IAE V2524-A5
First Flew: 11/01/2011.

Age: 13.1 Yrs. 

While on LATAM, it has been revealed this week that LATAM has reached out to lessors and other parties regarding an interest in up to 25 Boeing 737s from GOL.

GOL is currently under Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States, following restructuring efforts needed by the Brazilian carrier.