Photo: DANIEL SLIM / AFP / Getty Images
Passengers aboard Frontier Flight 5306 experienced a terrifying ordeal on Tuesday (April 15) when one of the plane's wheels broke off during landing at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Airbus A321, carrying 228 passengers, was on its final approach when it suffered a mechanical problem, causing a wheel to detach from the front landing gear.
Melani Gonzalez Wharton, a passenger on the flight, described the landing as "very bad, aggressive, and at a high speed," which resulted in the tire breaking and catching fire. Wharton, who was traveling with her family, shared her experience on Facebook, stating, "For a few minutes I thought it was the end of our story here on earth." Her video captured the view from her window, showing an orange glow and smoke streaks under the plane.
The flight circled the airport four times before making a second landing attempt on a different runway. According to El Nuevo Dia, the aircraft came within 500 feet of the runway before flying by and circling again, finally landing safely at 10:54 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Flight investigator Luis Irizarry praised the flight crew's actions, noting that a young co-pilot was initially in control before the experienced captain took over to stabilize the plane. Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News, stating that the aircraft landed safely and there were no injuries. The incident is currently under investigation.