United Airlines flight loses wheel off Boeing plane, but lands safely

A Boeing plane operated by United Airways misplaced a touchdown gear wheel throughout takeoff in Los Angeles earlier than touchdown safely in Denver, the most recent in a string of mechanical points this 12 months involving the producer’s planes.

The wheel fell from the Boeing 757-200 plane on Monday and was later recovered in Los Angeles, United Airways stated in a press release Tuesday.

There have been no accidents reported on the bottom or on board Flight 1001, United stated, including that it was investigating what occurred.

The United airplane was carrying 174 passengers and 7 crew members, the assertion stated. The plane used within the flight was 29 years outdated, in keeping with Flightradar24. Boeing ended manufacturing of 757 planes in 2004.

Whereas Boeing has been on the middle of a number of high-profile mishaps this 12 months, together with misplaced wheels, engine failures and blown-out door plugs, aviation specialists stress that flying is extremely secure and that deadly accidents are uncommon. Boeing has stated it has “taken vital steps to foster a security tradition.” Incidents like this may increasingly not essentially be the accountability of the producer, however fairly that of the airline that operates and maintains the plane.

In March, a Japan-bound United flight from San Francisco was diverted to L.A. after dropping a wheel throughout takeoff, with particles touchdown in an worker car parking zone at San Francisco Worldwide Airport and damaging a number of autos. Nobody on the plane, a Boeing 777-200, was injured.

In April, an engine cowl of a Southwest Boeing 737-800 airplane fell off throughout takeoff, putting a wing flap, the Federal Aviation Administration stated. The airplane instantly returned to Denver Worldwide Airport. No accidents had been reported. And in January, the door plug on an Alaska Airways Boeing 737 Max plane blew out whereas it was ascending over Portland, Ore., leaving a gap within the facet of the fuselage and forcing an emergency touchdown. Not one of the passengers had been critically injured, though some claimed bodily accidents and emotional trauma in a lawsuit in opposition to Boeing.