Iberia Airbus A320 Landing Gear Failure Shuts Down Split Airport Runway During Croatia Peak Season 2026

A critical mechanical failure on an Iberia Airbus A320 forced the complete suspension of flight operations at Split Airport on August 1, 2026, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded during Croatia's busiest tourism window. The incident, involving flight IB0945 from Madrid, resulted in a total runway blockade and triggered a wave of diversions to neighboring Croatian cities.

The disruption occurred at 16:22 local time on runway 05/23 when the aircraft's nose landing gear malfunctioned upon touchdown. According to reports, the nose wheels deviated approximately 90 degrees from the runway centerline, rendering the aircraft immobile and effectively sealing the airport's only active strip.

Emergency Evacuation of 178 Passengers at Saint Jerome Airport

Despite the sudden loss of directional control and the resulting friction between the tires and the tarmac, there were no reported injuries. The aircraft was carrying 178 people, consisting of 172 passengers and 6 crew members.

Airport emergency teams responded rapidly to the scene. Because there was no evidence of fire or smoke, officials opted against using emergency evacuation slides. Instead, passengers were offloaded via mobile stairs and transported to the terminal by bus. This coordinated effort allowed the airport's technical teams to shift their focus immediately toward the complex task of clearing the runway.

Widespread Diversions Across the Dalmatian Coast

Because Split Airport (Saint Jerome Airport) relies on a single runway, the disabled Airbus A320 created an immediate logistical bottleneck. With no alternative strip available, all arrivals and departures were halted.

Flight tracking data indicates that several incoming flights were forced to divert to other regional hubs to avoid fuel exhaustion and ensure safety. Diversions were primarily routed to:

• Zadar Airport
• Dubrovnik Airport
• Zagreb Airport

For travelers, this created a cascading effect of delays. Passengers departing Split faced immediate cancellations, while those arriving in diverted cities had to navigate ground transfers to reach their final destinations on the Dalmatian coastline. This occurred during the peak summer surge, which maximizes the operational strain on Croatia's aviation infrastructure.

Complex Recovery of the Disabled Airbus A320

Removing a commercial jet that cannot taxi under its own power requires specialized heavy-lift equipment. Technical recovery teams utilized advanced lifting systems and support tools to elevate the nose section of the A320, correcting the misalignment of the gear to allow for a controlled tow off the runway.

The precision required for this operation was paramount; any error during the lift could have damaged the aircraft's fuselage or caused further scarring to the runway surface, which would have extended the closure. Flight operations remained restricted until the aircraft was fully cleared and the runway underwent a safety inspection.

Official Investigation into Nose Gear Steering Failure

The Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accidents Investigation Agency (AIN) of Croatia has initiated a formal probe into the cause of the malfunction. The agency is currently analyzing flight data recorders, maintenance logs, and the physical components of the landing gear.

Investigators are specifically looking at whether the 90-degree rotation was caused by a sudden mechanical snap, a hydraulic leak, or a software glitch within the steering system. The goal is to determine if this was an isolated incident or a systemic failure that could affect other aircraft in the fleet.

Technical Scrutiny of the Airbus A320 Steering System

Industry observers note that nose landing gear misalignment is a known, though rare, challenge for the Airbus A320 family. The AIN investigation is expected to focus on several high-probability failure points:

Component Under Review	Potential Issue	Impact on Aircraft
Brake and Steering Control Unit (BSCU)	Electronic signal failure	Loss of directional control during rollout
Centering Mechanisms	Mechanical shear or fatigue	Wheels lock in off-center position
Hydraulic Lines	Pressure loss or blockage	Inability to steer nose wheel back to center
Anti-rotation Hardware	Structural failure	Uncontrolled rotation of the nose gear

While previous global incidents have highlighted these components, officials have not yet confirmed if the Iberia flight suffered from any of these specific faults.

Why This Matters: The Fragility of Single-Runway Hubs

For the modern traveler and legal observer, this incident highlights a critical vulnerability in regional aviation: the "single point of failure." When a destination relies on one runway, a single mechanical glitch on one aircraft can paralyze an entire region's tourism economy for hours.

From a logistical standpoint, this creates a nightmare for "connected" travelers. A diversion to Zadar for a passenger heading to Split isn't just a change in airport; it is a multi-hour ground transit that can result in missed hotel bookings and cruise departures. Furthermore, from a liability perspective, the reliance on diversions puts immense pressure on smaller airports like Zadar and Dubrovnik to handle unplanned surges in traffic, potentially compromising efficiency across the entire Croatian network.

The incident underscores why diversified infrastructure—such as secondary runways or more robust regional contingency plans—is essential for nations that rely heavily on seasonal tourism.

The final report from the AIN will be critical in determining if new maintenance mandates are required for the A320 fleet operating in high-frequency summer corridors.

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