According to officials, a wheel came off a United Airlines aircraft on Monday while it was taking off from Los Angeles International Airport. This is the airline’s latest problem this year, and federal aviation authorities had already begun a safety examination of the operation.
According to United, the Boeing 757-200 that lost a wheel made it to Denver, where it safely landed, having finished its scheduled route. On the ground, no injuries were reported.
The rogue wheel at LAX bounced over runways and taxiways, and the pilots of an Allegiant flight headed for Tulsa, Oklahoma, were the first to report it to air traffic control via radio on LiveATC.net.
The crew of Allegiant 2388 reported, “A tire came off that 75 that took off, we saw it rolling down past Bravo Seven, Bravo Eight.”
Real-time comments from other pilots were relayed to air traffic control, with one crew reporting that the tire had crossed a parallel runway. About three-quarters of a mile from where it was initially observed rolling away, another pilot radioed that the wheel had finally stopped close to the southwest corner of the airfield.
The airline reported that there were seven crew members and 174 passengers on board.
The airline released a statement saying, “The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event.” Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into this.
Months prior, during takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, another United Airlines aircraft lost a wheel, causing damage to multiple cars in a parking lot.
Officials at the time stated that the aircraft, which was bound for Osaka, Japan, had successfully landed in Los Angeles. There were no reported injuries.
According to a CNN study, the incident was one of at least twelve involving United Airlines planes in March, which prompted CEO Scott Kirby to issue a safety alert to patrons.
Although the events were “unrelated,” he stated at the time, they “have our attention and have sharpened our focus.”
According to a memo from United, the FAA started a safety examination of the airline that same month.
In an internal memo that CNN was able to get, United stated, “We will see more of an FAA presence in our operation over the next several weeks as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals, and facilities.” In order to make sure we are doing everything possible to encourage and push safety compliance, the assessment entails a “even closer look at multiple areas of our operation.”
The FAA claimed at the time that its “safety assurance system routinely monitors all aspects of an airline’s operation” in a statement. It focuses on an airline’s capacity to recognize risks, evaluate and reduce risk, and effectively manage safety in addition to adhering to relevant rules.
