Pilot earns praise for handling of emergency

A PUNCTURED tyre could be behind the emergency landing of a plane at Palm Island that shut the runway for hours.

The twin- engine Piper Chieftain plane landed on Palm Island on November 27 with a punctured tyre, causing it to come to a rest on the side of the runway.

The company that owns the aircraft, Bluewater Aviation, has since praised the quick actions of the pilot to ensure no one was injured.

The airline confirmed the 10- seater plane had taken off from Townsville about 4.30pm and landed on Palm Island about 4.50pm. It is understood the pilot had reported no adverse weather during the flight.

Upon landing it became clear the front tyre had punctured, causing the nose landing gear to fail.

Bluewater Aviation’s chief engineer Mike Popowycz said “foreign matter” played a vital role in the failure of the tyre but it is still unknown if the tyre was punctured at takeoff from Townsville or after landing at Palm Island.

Operational manager Noella Lai said the plane came to rest on the side of the runway with its nose on the ground.

“Our experienced pilot handled the situation with professionalism ensuring no injuries by implementing emergency management procedures as per her training and preparation,” she said.

Ms Lai said the relevant authorities, including the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau and Civil Aviation Safety Authority were notified that the runway was not available for use due to the incident.

The aircraft was removed from the runway by late morning the next day.

Chief pilot Brendan Morgan said Bluewater Aviation was leading an investigation into the cause of the incident.

“We would like to acknowledge our pilot’s actions in ensuring a safe outcome – this is what we train for and she has done a sterling job,” he said.