Mystery of nails in plane's tyre

Aviation officials in Bahrain are still investigating how four nails became embedded in the front right tyre of an Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) aircraft.They were detected minutes before Flight IC997 was to take off from Bahrain for Doha, en route to Calicut and Cochin, in southern India.
Bahrain-based engineers from the airline discovered the five-inch long nails during a final check before departure, averting what an airline official described as a "potential disaster".
The engineers changed the tyre and the aircraft left just 15 minutes behind schedule.
Civil Aviation officials in Bahrain confirmed there had been "an incident" with the aircraft, but said the "nails could have been picked up anywhere and not necessarily in Bahrain".
"The nails were small and harmless, and had perhaps fallen off someone's suitcase while loading and unloading," said an official.
IC 997, which originates in Cochin, Kerala, has its first halt at Calicut, also in Kerala, from where it flies to Doha.
From Doha, it comes into Bahrain and then goes back the same way - to Cochin, via Doha and Calicut. The sources said it was impossible the nails could have been 'picked up' anywhere else but Bahrain."If that had been the case, the tyre would certainly have burst on take-off from Doha. If not, the plane would have almost certainly had a flat while landing, " they said.
11/01/07 Mandeep Singh/Gulf Daily News, Bahrain

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline