Pilots praised after Etihad plane’s tyres deflated following aborted take-off at high-speed
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the cause of the aborted take-off was ‘a high exhaust gas temperature indication from the aircraft’s right engine’
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Your support makes all the difference.An Etihad Airways flight was forced to abort a high-speed take-off that led to two tyres bursting, as “high exhaust gas temperatures” in the engine caused an emergency halt of the Boeing plane.
Etihad Airways flight EY461 was due to take off from Melbourne, Australia to Abu Dhabi at 6.15pm local time on Sunday, 5 January for a 13-hour flight when the flight crew halted the take-off due to “operational reasons”.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a statement to The Independent that the flight crew decided to reject the take-off due to observing “a high exhaust gas temperature indication from the aircraft’s right engine”.
During the aborted take-off, two of the aircraft’s tyres deflated, but no further damages or injuries were reported, the ATSB added.
In an updated statement, the airline told The Independent that “our pilots made the decision to reject take-off for operational reasons.
“This procedure is the safest course of action to protect everyone on board in such situations.
“The aircraft was safely brought to a stop, with emergency services attending as a precaution.
“As part of standard procedure, foam was applied to the landing gear tyres, and two tyres deflated – a normal occurrence in such cases.
Despite various reports stating that the flight was stopped after the tyres “burst”, the airline said the tyres deflated as a result of the aborted take-off and was not the cause.
Video footage from the scene showed fire services dousing the aircraft’s landing gear in foam, which Melbourne Airport also said was a precautionary measure.
“Our crew ensured guests were informed and supported throughout the process,” the Etihad spokesperson continued.
“All guests have been re-accommodated on alternative flights, and those requiring hotels have been provided with appropriate arrangements.
“The safety, comfort, and care of our guests and crew remain our highest priority,” the Etihad spokesperson added. “We regret any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding.”
Melbourne Airport has confirmed that the Boeing 787, which was carrying 289 passengers during the take-off, had sustained damage to its tyres, and needed repairs before it was able to be towed off the runway.
Passengers have described the plane speeding up as it travelled down the runway in preparation for taking to the air but was jolted as the plane suddenly braked and then came to a halt on the runway.
Data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that the plane reached just around 292km/h before the take-off was aborted.
Passenger Jonathan Dover told ABC News that he first felt apprehension when he noticed the firefighters dousing the plane’s tyres.
"That was the first time you sort of realised something was really amiss," he said, but praised the pilot for keeping the passengers informed, saying that he sounded calm throughout.
Both the airline and Melbourne Airport said that emergency services applied foam to the tyres on the aircraft’s landing gear as a “routine precaution”.
The halted plane reportedly remained on the runway for more than 12 hours before it was towed away the following day and the runway was able to reopen again.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson told news publications on Sunday: "Etihad Airways flight EY461 rejected take off this evening when departing Melbourne Airport for Abu Dhabi.
"The Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Service responded to a request from the aircraft and deployed firefighting foam as a precaution.
"Due to damage to the aircraft’s tyres, we have been unable to tow it off the runway.
"Repairs are currently underway. All passengers have disembarked the aircraft and have been bussed to the terminal.
"We continue to have one runway available for operations, which will be used for all arrivals and departures. Disruptions to other flights have been minimal."
The airport said in an update on X that “All 289 passengers safely disembarked the aircraft and were bussed to the terminal.
“The Etihad aircraft has been safely towed from the runway, inspections have been completed and the runway reopened for operations this morning.”
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