Palma de Mallorca, Spain: An Air Europa Boeing 737-800 suffered a landing incident at Palma de Mallorca Airport after an earlier bird strike reportedly damaged the aircraft’s nose landing gear steering system, leading to initial findings that claimed the jet had “lost a wheel” during landing.
The incident occurred on May 8 during Air Europa flight UX6079 from Madrid to Palma de Mallorca. The aircraft involved has been identified as a Boeing 737-800 registered EC-MPG.
The aircraft sustained a bird strike while on approach to Runway 06L at Palma Airport. The strike reportedly damaged the nose gear steering mechanism before touchdown. The touchdown itself initially appeared normal. However, during the rollout phase, the aircraft gradually veered to the right before exiting the runway area at low speed and coming to a stop near a high-speed turnoff.
Early local media reports stated that one of the landing gear wheels detached during landing, with photographs showing the aircraft leaning to one side on the runway surrounded by emergency vehicles.
The visible wheel and tyre damage was likely a consequence of the earlier bird-strike-related steering failure rather than an independent mechanical wheel failure. However, authorities have not yet released an official technical conclusion, and the exact sequence of damage remains under investigation.
Emergency services responded immediately after the aircraft came to a stop. Passengers were temporarily unable to disembark normally while firefighters and ground personnel secured the aircraft. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Several prominent figures from Mallorca’s tourism industry were reportedly onboard the flight after attending an event in Madrid, according to local Spanish media.
The aircraft remained grounded for several hours while maintenance inspections were carried out. The aircraft subsequently returned to service after repairs and inspections were completed.
