The Airbus A380 took off from Emirates’ main hub in Dubai on July 1 and landed at night, but pilots reported a surprising discovery when they got there.
Passengers reported hearing a loud bang while they were flying over the ocean on the way to Australia.
But the airline decided to continue on anyway for another 13.5 hours, contacting Air Traffic Control at Brisbane Airport shortly before landing to report that they suspected they had blown a tyre on take-off.
They requested to be met by emergency services on landing, according to the Aviation Herald.
When they landed after 13.5 hours in the air, emergency services were shocked to find a large hole in the side of the body fairing on the left jet of the plane.
Fairing is added for aerodynamic reasons, producing a smooth outline and reduce wind drag.
The aeroplane inspectors also discovered a detached bolt in the nosegear, but it is not yet known if the two incidents are related.
The plane was unable to depart for its return flight and is still on the ground in Brisbane about 17 hours after landing.
#Emirates, Airbus #A380 (A6-EVK) flight #EK430 has landed in #Brisbane with a hole in the side of aircraft after a wheel exploded during its take off from #Dubai, crew told to ATC during its approach to Brisbane.
📷 Avherald#Airbus #Australia #UAE #aviation #AvGeek #avgeeks pic.twitter.com/WjmKmde8wi
— FlightMode (@FlightModeblog) July 3, 2022