PAL Airlines Dash 8-400 Loses Wheels in Two Separate Incidents Within Weeks
A PAL Airlines Dash 8-400 aircraft lost a wheel shortly after takeoff from Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Thursday, the second time the same plane has lost a wheel within two weeks. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is gathering information but has not deployed investigators, while the airline has removed the aircraft from service and is inspecting its fleet.
A PAL Airlines Dash 8-400 aircraft lost a wheel shortly after taking off from Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Thursday, marking the second time the same plane has experienced a wheel detachment within a two-week period. 
Flight 411 diverted to St. John’s International Airport following the incident and landed safely at approximately 4:10 p.m. NT. The same aircraft had previously lost a wheel upon landing in Wabush on Oct. 30.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has not deployed investigators for either event but is currently gathering information regarding both incidents. The Oct. 30 occurrence was classified as a Class 5 event, the second least severe classification used by the board. Class 5 occurrences require data gathering within 60 days and do not result in an investigation report. According to the TSB, Microsoft’s global outage has slowed the process of collecting information related to the second incident.
Transport Canada stated it is working directly with the operator and will take action if safety deficiencies are identified.
John Gradek, an aviation expert at McGill University, described the loss of two wheels on the same aircraft within two weeks as "disturbing" and unusual. Gradek suggested the repeated failures point to possible issues with the plane’s repair and maintenance processes. 
In response to the incidents, PAL Airlines has removed the specific Dash 8-400 aircraft from service and is completing inspections on its remaining Dash 8-400 fleet.