A Boeing jetliner lost a wheel on Monday during take-off in the latest in a series of safety scares for the embattled aerospace giant.
The Boeing 757-200 operated by United Airlines lost its main landing-gear wheel after leaving Los Angeles International Airport but landed safely at its intended destination in Denver.
“The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event,” United Airlines said in a statement.
No injuries were reported from the ground or among the 174 passengers and seven crew members on board. A Boeing spokesman told AFP that the aircraft was delivered 30 years ago and that production of the model was discontinued in 2004. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.
It is the second time this year that a Boeing plane operated by United Airlines has lost a wheel after take-off.
Advertisement
In March a Boeing 777 bound for Japan had a tyre fall off shortly after leaving San Francisco and the aircraft had to make an emergency landing.
On Sunday a Boeing 737, also operated by United Airlines, bound for Guam from Japan had to make an emergency landing after detecting a system malfunction during the flight, according to Japan’s transport ministry.
There were no injuries among the 44 passengers and six crew members on board, the ministry said.
• Boeing 737 Max: how dangerous are they?
These latest incidents come after Boeing agreed on Monday to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge related to two 737 Max jet crashes that killed 346 passengers and crew. Boeing has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $243.6 million in connection with the disasters in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019.
Advertisement
The maker of almost half of the world’s commercial airliners has faced renewed scrutiny over its 737 Max plane this year after a fuselage door plug blew out mid-flight on the same model during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
On Monday, the FAA said 2,600 Boeing 737 aircraft required inspections over fears that oxygen masks could fail to work in an emergency.
