Mumbai (PTI): In a freak mishap, the wheel nose gear of an Air India Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft collapsed duirng pre-flight inspection in the parking bay of the city airport on Friday.

Four Air India engineers working on the aircraft at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here escaped unhurt in the accident.

One of the engineers was in the cockpit while three others were on the ground.

An alternative aircraft was made available to operate the flight AI-717 which took off for Dubai at around 16.00 hours, a delay of more than an hour. The aircraft was over 15-years old and leased, an AI spokesperson said.

This is the second such incident within two days involving an Air India aircraft at the Mumbai airport. On Thursday, an Airbus 320 was involved in yet another accident as the aircraft started moving even before the aerobridge could be detached.

The Chennai-bound flight was delayed by over four hours as the same aircraft took off with 90 passengers on board after engineers cleared the aircraft for flying.