Video: Cabin panels fall, passengers scream as Iran Boeing 737 makes emergency landing

A Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 flying from Mashhad to Kermanshah in Iran was forced to return to Mashhad shortly after takeoff after a tyre problem and a reported engine emergency, with dramatic cabin footage showing interior panels coming loose during severe shaking.According to Aviation Today, the aircraft developed the problem after leaving Mashhad airport on September 15. Iran’s Razavi Khorasan provincial airports authority said the outer tread had separated from one of the aircraft’s tyres as it departed the runway. Officials clarified that the tyre itself had not burst.The pilot subsequently reported an engine emergency to air traffic control and requested permission to return to Mashhad. The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported among those on board.Videos from inside the aircraft showed passengers reacting in panic as the Boeing 737 experienced intense shaking. Sections of the cabin’s overhead lining and interior panels appeared to detach and fall, while passengers could be heard screaming. Some belongings also fell from overhead compartments.The footage does not indicate that the aircraft’s main fuselage or structural roof collapsed. The visible damage appears to involve cabin interior panels and lining.The exact relationship between the tyre problem and the reported engine emergency remains unclear. Iranian aviation authorities are investigating the incident, and there is currently no confirmed finding that the tyre problem caused damage to the engine.The incident comes amid wider scrutiny of Iran’s ageing commercial aircraft fleet, which has faced long-standing difficulties in accessing Western aircraft, spare parts and maintenance support because of international sanctions.Sepehran Airlines has also experienced another Boeing 737 incident at Mashhad in recent weeks. On August 25, a Boeing 737-500 reportedly veered off the runway after landing, with its nose landing gear collapsing. No injuries were reported in that incident.Authorities are expected to examine the aircraft’s tyre, landing gear, engines and cabin systems to establish what triggered the latest emergency and why the cabin interior was damaged during the flight.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.