Incident Overview
A wheel reportedly fell off a United Airlines Boeing 757-200 shortly after takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Monday, July 8. Alarming footage shared by RadarBox captures the moment the tire detached from the plane’s undercarriage, plummeting to the ground seconds after departure.
Flight details and aftermath
United Airlines confirmed that the wheel came loose at 7 a.m. as Flight 1001 departed LAX bound for Denver. The aircraft landed safely in Denver approximately three hours later without any injuries to the crew or passengers. A United spokesperson stated the wheel was later located in Los Angeles, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident. It remains unclear if the wheel caused any ground damage.
Similar past incident
This incident echoes a similar event in March when a Boeing 777-200 lost a wheel after taking off from San Francisco en route to Osaka, Japan. The aircraft had to divert to LAX, where it landed safely. The detached tire damaged several vehicles in the airport’s parking lot.
Boeing’s legal troubles
In a related development, Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two 737 Max jetliner crashes. The Justice Department announced that Boeing violated a prior agreement that shielded it from prosecution for over three years. According to a statement given to ABC News, Boeing will pay the maximum statutory fine and invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs. This agreement 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.
The recent wheel detachment incident adds to the ongoing scrutiny of Boeing’s safety protocols, coinciding with the company’s efforts to resolve its legal issues and restore its tarnished reputation.
