KLM flight lands with flat tire

Schiphol airport dealt with two minor incidents today that could have turned major: a fire in a workshop and a Boeing 747 that landed with a flat tire.

A spokesperson for the airport told journalists that the aircraft with the flat tire came in from Shanghai. The pilot had noticed the empty tire and alarmed airport authorities to have emergency services on standby, but the plane touched down and taxied to the terminal building without a problem.

“The passengers probably didn’t even notice anything,” the spokesperson said. She said it happens a few times per year that an aircraft comes in with a flat tire. It could cause a flight to get off the runway, but that hardly ever happens. A Boeing 747 has eighteen wheels; two under the nose and 16 under the hull and wings.

The fire at the airport raged in a workshop of the department. The building was evacuated because of the smoke. The fire was extinguished within the hour.