150 escape death as Boeing 737-400 lands without wheels

Medics gather for the emergency landing of the Boeing 737-400

An Electra Airways Boeing 737-400 has made a successful emergency landing at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport after losing a wheel during take-off in Cologne, Germany.

The aircraft had more than 150 passengers on board.

Staff at Ben Gurion was put on highest alert on Monday afternoon as the plane prepared to land.

More than 100 ambulances were scrambled to the scene and all other flights were cancelled or diverted.

But there was no incident. After circling in a holding pattern to shed fuel, the 737 touched down at 4.25 PM local time, using engine braking to keep pressure off the tires.

No injuries were reported as passengers began disembarking on the tarmac.

According to rt.com, prior to landing, the plane had been escorted into Israeli airspace by two F-16 fighter jets. The military pilots assessed the damage and reported one of the aircraft’s back left tires had been blown out.

Video footage shot from Ben Gurion shows the plane landing smoothly.

The 737-400 aircraft is one of only three jets operated by Electra Airways, a small Bulgarian charter airline founded in 2016. Electra also owns two Airbus A320-200 series aircraft.