A United Airlines Boeing 757 jet lost one of its main landing gears right after departing from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday morning. Dramatic video footage captured the moment one of the large wheels detached from the aircraft and fell to the ground shortly after the jet accelerated down the runway and lifted off. The flight, numbered UA1001, was scheduled to fly from LA to Denver.
Eyewitness video shows the large tire separated from the plane’s undercarriage in the first few seconds of takeoff. Despite this alarming incident, the pilots were able to safely continue the flight with the remaining wheels and landed the jet safely in Denver approximately three hours later. None of the passengers or crew members sustained any injuries during the unscheduled mid-air drama.
United Airlines confirmed that one wheel came loose from the aircraft after it left the runway in Los Angeles. The detached tire was later found in the LA airport grounds. Investigators are currently examining the jet’s landing gear to determine what caused the wheel to disengage so soon after the start of the flight. It is unclear if the falling wheel impacted any vehicles or equipment on the airport property upon returning to earth.
This is the second reported incident of a wheel separating from a large passenger plane on takeoff within the past few months. In March, a Boeing 777 flying from San Francisco lost a tire after liftoff, forcing an emergency landing. That wheel struck vehicles parked at the diversion airport. United says the safety of its aircraft and passengers is the top priority as experts work to understand why critical components can come loose so perilously early in some flights.
