A Boeing jetliner departing from Los Angeles experienced a wheel loss on Monday, marking another safety concern for the aerospace company. United Airlines, the operator of the Boeing 757-200, confirmed that the aircraft lost a wheel shortly after departing from Los Angeles International Airport but managed to land safely in Denver, its planned destination.
"The wheel has been located in Los Angeles, and we are currently investigating the cause of this incident," stated the airline. There were no reports of injuries either on the ground or among the 174 passengers and seven crew members onboard. This incident marks the second occurrence in recent months where a Boeing plane operated by United Airlines lost a wheel post-takeoff.
In March, a Boeing 777 en route to Japan suffered a tire detachment shortly after taking off from San Francisco, necessitating an emergency landing. Concurrently, Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to fraud as part of a settlement with the US Department of Justice concerning two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX.
Boeing has recently faced increased scrutiny over the 737 MAX after a fuselage door plug was dislodged during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. A Boeing spokesperson revealed that the 757-200 aircraft involved in Monday's incident was initially delivered in 1994, with production of the 757 model having ceased in 2004. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the Monday incident.
