Main landing gear wheel fracture involving Saab 340B, VH-VEF, Melbourne Airport, Victoria, on 1 April 2026

Summary

The ATSB is investigating the fracture of a main landing gear wheel on a Saab 340B aircraft, registered VH‑VEF, at Melbourne Airport on 1 April 2026.

After a flight from Orange, New South Wales, to Melbourne, Victoria, a post-flight inspection identified that one of the aircraft's tyres had deflated and that a section of the wheel rim had fractured and separated. The separated piece was subsequently found on the lead-in to the aircraft's parking bay at Melbourne Airport.

Engineering inspections by the operator found evidence of fatigue cracking within the tyre bead seat area. The wheel had been recently overhauled by the supplier and had not previously been fitted to the operator's aircraft.

The ATSB has reviewed the wheel's overhaul records and will obtain a copy of the wheel supplier's investigation report into the occurrence. The fractured wheel, part number 5010488, was of the original design that was the subject to a number of in-service fractures, including two previous occurrences in Australia that were investigated by the ATSB (AO-2009-006 and AO-2019-047).

The wheel was redesigned by the manufacturer, and the original design was superseded in December 1995, however there was no requirement to remove the affected wheels from service. The aircraft operator advised the ATSB that they currently have 8 wheels of this design in service.

As a result of this occurrence the operator has ensured that no two of those wheels are on the same landing gear leg of any aircraft, and it has also elected to remove the remaining wheels from service, rather than continue to have them overhauled.

A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken.