A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Japan was diverted to Los Angeles on Thursday after one of its tires failed during takeoff, according to the airline.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that United Flight 35 landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The tire debris ended up in an employee parking lot at the airport
According to San Francisco International Airport, the flight lost a portion of its landing gear tire during takeoff around 11:35 a.m. PT. Cali Planes footage shows the tire falling off seconds after takeoff.
The tire debris ended up in an employee parking lot at the airport. There were no injuries, and the runway was briefly closed to clear debris, according to the airport. According to the footage, at least one car in the parking lot appeared to have been damaged as a result of the incident.
“We’re grateful to our pilots and flight attendants for their professionalism in managing this situation,” United said in a statement. “We’re also grateful to our teams on the ground who were waiting with a tug to move the aircraft soon after it landed and to our teams in the airport who assisted customers upon their arrival.”
According to United Airlines, there were 235 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and four pilots on board
United stated that it will work with the owners of the damaged vehicles at San Francisco International Airport “to ensure their needs are addressed.”
According to United, the tire was one of twelve on the two main landing gear struts of the Boeing 777-200.
“The aircraft is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires,” United said in a statement.
The FAA stated that it would investigate the incident.
The flight was bound for Osaka. United said it had arranged for a new aircraft to carry the passengers on Thursday evening.
According to United, there were 235 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and four pilots on board when the incident occurred.
