A Boeing 737 Norwegian aircraft carrying 181 passengers made an emergency landing after a tyre exploded after take-off in Sweden.
The flight bound for Paris set off from Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport but soon the plane was back on the runway after the malfunction.
Passengers on the plane – on flight D82046 – heard a loud bang as the tyres detonated, prompting paramedics and police to quickly arrive at the scene.
The plane was forced to return to Arlanda and circle the airport, before flying at low altitude over another runway for inspection.
It was during the inspection that officials spotted a tyre had exploded.
Debris was found on the runway following the technical fault.
One passenger who is from Paris was frightened by the emergency landing.
‘When [the plane] started, it shook a great deal. It shook and vibrated a lot,’ Maya Carenco told Expressen.
‘My legs are still vibrating. When we were in the air I did not know what happened but now that we [do know], I’m a bit shocked.’
Her mum and grandmother said they were monitoring the plane’s movements online.
‘They kept an eye on me and were apparently very concerned. But the pilot and staff on board were so calm that I was not concerned at all at the time, which was a good thing, in hindsight.’
‘The plane took off as planned,’ a press officer for the Norwegian airline said.
‘But when it was in the air the pilot needed to turn around and go back to Arlanda due to technical problems.’
An assessment will now be conducted to determine the cause of the explosion, according to Sara Eriksson, press manager at the Swedish Maritime Administration.
Cars were seen driving to the runway with debris to carry out further inspections.
A press officer described the incident as unusual and said it is currently difficult to determine how serious the malfunction was.
The flight was scheduled for 9:05am local time but did not take off until 9:27am.
It was due to arrive at the French capital two hours and 40 minutes later, at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.