San Francisco: The Boeing 777-200 aircraft operated by United Airlines and bound for Japan lost a tyre during takeoff from the US city of San Francisco and has been forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles, the company said.
"United Flight 35 lost one tyre after takeoff from San Francisco. The flight will land at LAX [Los Angeles International Airport]. Once the flight lands in Los Angeles, we will arrange a new aircraft to continue this trip for our customers. The 777-200 has six tyres on each of its two main landing gear struts. The aircraft is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tyres," a United Airlines spokesperson was quoted by the FOX 35 Orlando broadcaster as saying on Thursday.
Later in the day, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that the passenger plane had landed safely at the city airport before 1:30 p.m. (21:30 GMT), adding that none of the passengers or crew members had been injured.
The missing tyre was found on the grounds of the San Francisco airport, US media reported.
A viral video clip shows the moment when a tyre fell from a plane, causing damage to several vehicles.
United said it will work with the owners of the damaged vehicles at the San Francisco International Airport “to ensure their needs are addressed.”
Boeing's aircraft have seen a string of in-flight incidents in recent months. In January, the US Federal Aviation Administration ordered Boeing's 737 MAX jet grounded after a cabin panel blew out in midair on a flight from Oregon. In a separate incident, an oxygen leak was discovered on board a Boeing 737 that was supposed to transport US Secretary of State Antony Blinken from the Davos World Economic Forum. The leak proved impossible to mend, making the plane unsafe to fly.
