In a startling incident on Monday, July 8, a wheel reportedly fell off a United Airlines Boeing 757-200 shortly after takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Alarming footage shared by RadarBox captures the moment the tire detached from the plane’s undercarriage, plummeting to the ground just seconds after departure.
United Airlines confirmed that the wheel came loose at 7 a.m. as Flight 1001 was headed from LAX to Denver. Thankfully, the aircraft landed safely in Denver about three hours later, with no injuries to the crew or passengers. A United spokesperson mentioned that the wheel was later found in Los Angeles, and an investigation is currently underway to determine what caused this unusual incident. It’s still unclear if the detached wheel caused any damage on the ground.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar event in March, when a Boeing 777-200 lost a wheel after taking off from San Francisco en route to Osaka, Japan. That aircraft had to divert to LAX, where it landed safely, although the detached tire did cause damage to several vehicles in the airport’s parking lot.
In other news, Boeing is dealing with significant legal issues. The company has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge related to two 737 Max jetliner crashes. The Justice Department announced that Boeing violated a previous agreement that had protected it from prosecution for over three years. Boeing will pay the maximum statutory fine and invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs as part of this agreement, which is subject to approval by a federal judge.
“We can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle on terms of a resolution with the Justice Department, subject to the memorialization and approval of specific terms,” Boeing stated.
This recent wheel detachment incident adds to the ongoing scrutiny of Boeing’s safety protocols, coming at a time when the company is working hard to resolve its legal issues and restore its reputation.
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