A Boeing jetliner departing from Los Angeles experienced a safety incident on Monday when it lost a wheel, marking another concern for the aerospace company.
United Airlines, operating the Boeing 757-200, confirmed the plane lost a wheel after departing from Los Angeles International Airport but safely landed in Denver, its destination.
“The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating the cause of this event,” United Airlines stated in a release. No injuries were reported among the 174 passengers and seven crew members onboard or on the ground.
This incident follows another occurrence earlier in the year when a Boeing 777 operated by United Airlines also lost a tire shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, necessitating an emergency landing.
Boeing recently settled with the US Department of Justice, agreeing to plead guilty to fraud related to two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX aircraft. The company has faced increased scrutiny following other incidents involving the 737 MAX this year, including a fuselage door plug issue during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
A spokesperson from Boeing noted that the Boeing 757-200 involved in Monday’s incident was delivered in 1994 and production of this model ceased in 2004. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Monday’s wheel loss.
