A United Airlines plane lost a wheel while taking off Monday from Los Angeles International Airport, officials said, marking the latest issue this year for the airline, which was already under a safety review by federal aviation officials.
The Boeing 757-200 that lost its wheel completed its planned flight to Denver, where it landed safely, United reported. No injuries were reported on the ground.
Pilots of an Allegiant flight bound for Tulsa, Oklahoma, were the first to report the wayward wheel as it bounced across runways and taxiways at LAX, according to LiveATC.net. They radioed their report to air traffic control.
Other pilots also reported in real-time to air traffic control, with one crew noting the tire crossed a parallel runway. Another pilot indicated the wheel finally stopped near the airport’s southwest corner, about three-quarters of a mile from where it was first seen rolling away.
There were 174 passengers and seven crew members on board, the airline stated.
This incident comes months after another United Airlines flight lost a wheel while taking off from San Francisco International Airport, damaging several cars in a parking lot.
That plane, which was headed for Osaka, Japan, landed safely in Los Angeles, officials said at the time. No injuries were reported.
The incident was one of at least a dozen involving United Airlines flights in March, according to a CNN analysis, prompting CEO Scott Kirby to send a safety message to customers.
At the time, Kirby said the incidents were “unrelated,” but “have our attention and have sharpened our focus.”
That same month, the FAA began a safety review of the airline, according to a memo from United.
