Chaos at Palma Airport after wheel comes off plane during landing

Passengers arriving in Mallorca on Friday evening faced a frightening moment after a wheel reportedly came off an Air Europa plane while it was landing at Palma Airport. Emergency crews rushed onto the runway after the aircraft touched down from Madrid at around 8.30pm and was left tilted on the tarmac, temporarily trapping passengers on board.

No injuries were reported, but the incident quickly caused alarm among passengers as emergency vehicles surrounded the aircraft shortly after landing.

Early reports suggest the problem may have been linked to a bird strike during touchdown, although the exact cause has not yet been officially confirmed.

Passengers stranded on board after plane tilted on runway

According to local reports, one of the wheels from the aircraft’s landing gear detached as the plane landed at Palma Airport on Friday evening.

The aircraft reportedly ended up leaning to one side on the runway, making it impossible for passengers to disembark immediately after arrival.

Emergency services and airport personnel were rapidly deployed to secure the area while crews assessed the situation.

Passengers remained on board while the aircraft was stabilised and airport teams worked to ensure a safe evacuation process.

Despite the dramatic scenes on the runway, authorities confirmed that nobody was injured during the incident.

Images and videos shared online after the landing showed emergency vehicles surrounding the Air Europa aircraft as airport staff dealt with the situation.

The incident briefly disrupted normal activity in the area while emergency procedures were carried out.

Mallorca tourism leaders were reportedly among the passengers

Several prominent figures linked to Mallorca’s tourism sector were reportedly travelling on the flight after attending a conference in Madrid.

Among those said to be on board were Javier Vich, president of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, Encarna Piñero from the Piñero hotel group and Miquel Rosselló, the Balearic Government’s tourism director general.

The unexpected incident quickly became a major talking point locally given the high profile passengers involved and the busy summer period already beginning in Mallorca.

Palma Airport is currently entering one of its busiest times of year as visitor numbers continue rising ahead of peak summer season.

Any incident involving aircraft safety at the airport naturally attracts immediate attention, particularly at a time when millions of tourists are travelling through the Balearic Islands.

Bird strike believed to be possible cause of the incident

Early information suggests the landing gear problem may have been triggered by a bird strike during landing.

Bird strikes are relatively common in aviation and usually do not cause serious problems, but they can occasionally damage important aircraft systems depending on where the impact occurs.

At this stage, investigators are still expected to examine exactly how the wheel became detached during touchdown.

Air Europa has not yet released a detailed public explanation regarding the incident. For passengers on board, however, the landing was clearly far from routine.

What should have been a normal Friday evening arrival in Mallorca quickly turned into an emergency situation involving runway crews, firefighters and airport security teams. Even though nobody was hurt, the sight of a plane left tilted on the runway after losing part of its landing gear is likely to leave many passengers shaken after what became a very unusual arrival at Palma Airport.