Air India Express Jet Crushes Runway Lights, Loses Wheel in Oman

An Air India Express passenger jet was forced to abort takeoff after it ran over signal lights on the runway at Muscat International Airport, blowing out tires and losing a wheel. The incident occurred on May 15 during a flight from Muscat to Kannur, India, but details only emerged recently, according to the Aviation Herald.

The Boeing 737-800 was taxiing onto Runway 26L when pilots veered too close to the edge, crushing several embedded lamps. A loud pop and an alarm prompted the crew to halt the takeoff roll. Inspectors found the tires punctured and a complete loss of hydraulic fluid, grounding the aircraft.

Passengers told local media they were kept on the disabled plane for nearly two hours before being bused to the terminal and later put up in hotels. The airline arranged a replacement flight the next day, delaying travelers by 13.5 hours. The damaged jet remains parked at Muscat as investigators examine what went wrong.

In a separate incident, a teenager carrying a shotgun and a teddy bear attempted to hijack a passenger plane. Wearing a reflective vest, the youth boarded a flight, told crew he had bombs in his bag, and demanded access to the cockpit. Authorities detained him without incident.