United airline loses wheel during takeoff in Los Angeles
A United Airlines aircraft experienced a dramatic incident when it lost a landing-gear wheel during take-off from Los Angeles.
Despite this challenge, the plane successfully landed at its intended destination, Denver, without any injuries. This marks the second occurrence of such an event for the airline this year.
United Airlines confirmed that the wheel was recovered in Los Angeles and that an investigation is underway to determine the cause.
The incident involved a nearly 30-year-old Boeing 757-200, which was carrying 174 passengers and seven crew members. Boeing ceased production of the 757 in 2004.
Earlier this year, in March, a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route to Japan lost a tire mid-air shortly after taking off from San Francisco. The aircraft landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport. The tire, however, landed on a car in an airport employee parking lot, breaking a window but causing no injuries.
Monday’s incident is part of a troubling pattern for United Airlines. In March alone, the airline faced multiple emergencies. One aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport due to a hydraulic system issue.
Another flight, attempting to land in Houston, veered off the taxiway into the grass. Additionally, a flight carrying 167 passengers made an emergency landing in Houston after flames erupted from the engine of United Flight 1118, a Boeing 737-900 traveling from Houston to Fort Myers, Florida.
This wave of incidents is not unique to United Airlines. In January, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 experienced a mid-air emergency when a door plug blew off shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, necessitating an emergency landing and resulting in several injuries.
United Airlines later attributed a $200 million (£161 million) hit to its earnings in the first quarter of the year to this incident, citing the grounding of many Boeing planes as a contributing factor to the financial losses.
