Transportation Ministry Ensures GA604 Tire Incident Handled Safely

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Ministry of Transportation has ensured that the handling of the Garuda Indonesia GA604 aircraft incident, which involved a blown tire on one of its main wheels at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi, was carried out in accordance with flight safety procedures. Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation Lukman F. Laisa said his office had received a report regarding the incident involving the PK-GFS-registered Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which was operating on the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK)–Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (UPG) route.

“At 6:04 a.m. local time, the Pilot in Command (PIC) coordinated through Ground-to-Air (GTA) communication and decided to continue the flight to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport,” Lukman said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

The aircraft experienced a blown tire on main wheel number 3 after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Based on the report received, at 5:52 a.m. local time, the JATSC Tower at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport informed the Pilot in Command (PIC) that main wheel number 3 had suffered a tire failure after the aircraft became airborne.

At 6:04 a.m. local time, the PIC coordinated through Ground-to-Air (GTA) communication and decided to continue the flight to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. Coordination with Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport was subsequently carried out to anticipate the possibility of the runway being blocked during or after the aircraft's landing and to prepare the necessary response measures.

GA604 landed safely on Runway 03 at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport at 9:13 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA). Following the landing, the runway was temporarily closed under NOTAM No. A3284/26 to ensure operational safety and facilitate the handling of the aircraft.

The Makassar Region V Airport Authority Office then coordinated with Garuda Indonesia's technical team and GMF AeroAsia. Based on the initial inspection, a blown tire was found on main wheel number 3. The aircraft was then towed from the runway to the parking stand for further inspection and repairs, including replacement of the main wheel.

A total of 141 passengers and eight crew members were handled with safety and security as the top priorities, in accordance with applicable regulations. Lukman appreciated the swift response and intensive coordination among all parties involved, including the aircraft crew, airport operator, AirNav Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia, and the technical team, which enabled the aircraft to land safely and the post-incident handling to be carried out in accordance with procedures.

As part of the response, runway inspections and cleaning were also conducted at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport to ensure that no Foreign Object Debris (FOD) remained that could potentially affect flight safety.

“We ensure that flight safety and security remain our top priorities. Coordination and monitoring of the aircraft inspection and handling process will continue in accordance with applicable regulations,” Lukman said.