Tread Softly yet Carry a Big Nail

Bahrein's Civil Aviation Authority is yet to report on a January 2nd incident where four 5" long nails were found purposely driven into an Indian Airlines A320 aircraft's RH nosewheel tire. Indian engineers fortuitously found the nails just prior to the aircraft's departure. The aircraft had been thoroughly inspected by the engineers after it arrived from Cochin, via Calicut and Doha, at 8.20pm and the nails were discovered after the plane was towed to its boarding gate. Flight IC997 was just about to taxi for a flight to Doha, enroute to Calicut and Cochin in Southern India. The flight was carrying 93 passengers, of which 29 had boarded in Bahrein. The aircraft would have been full to its 145 capacity out of Doha.

The engineers changed the tyre and the aircraft left just 15 minutes behind schedule. Meanwhile the only feedback from Bahrein Civil Aviation officials has been that "the nails were small and harmless and could have been picked up anywhere".