One of the two nose wheels of a Spicejet aircraft, flying from Colombo to Madurai flight, came off while taxing down the Mudarai Airport yesterday afternoon, the Hindu reported.

The aircraft which was carrying 70 passengers and five crew members at the time was grounded and the next leg of its journey to Hyderabad cancelled.  

Airport sources said that one of the nose wheels got cut off after the aircraft landed at around 3.20 p.m and that the pilot managed to bring the aircraft to the apron with the single nose wheel.

Alternative arrangements were made for passengers.