United Airlines plane makes safe landing in Los Angeles after tyre falls off during takeoff | Watch

A United Airlines Boeing 777 bound for Japan landed safely in Los Angeles on March 7 following a tyre mishap during takeoff from San Francisco, AP reported.

Video footage captured the moment the aircraft lost one of its six tyres on the left-side main landing gear assembly shortly after takeoff. The dislodged tyre landed in a San Francisco International Airport employee parking lot, colliding with a car, shattering its rear window, and eventually coming to a halt in a neighbouring lot.

Despite the dramatic incident, no injuries were reported, according to airport spokesperson Doug Yakel's statement.

Boeing 777s are equipped with six tyres on each of the two main landing gears. The incident involved the loss of one tyre from the left-side main landing gear assembly.

Smooth Landing in Los Angeles

Fire engines were on standby at Los Angeles International Airport, but the Boeing 777 executed an uneventful landing, stopping approximately two-thirds down the runway. Airport spokesperson Dae Levine confirmed the safe landing and mentioned that the aircraft was subsequently towed away.

The flight carried 235 passengers and a crew of 14, as disclosed by United Airlines. The airline assured that the 2002-built plane was designed to land safely even with missing or damaged tyres. Passengers are expected to continue their journey on another aircraft.

Expert Insights

Aviation experts told AP the public can be reassured that incidents of planes losing tyres are uncommon and do not signal broader safety concerns.

“In aviation, we never want to have single points of failure if they can be avoided, and this is a case in point. The remaining tyres are fully capable of handling the load,” said Alan Price, a former chief pilot for Delta Air Lines. He added that a loose tyre is normally a maintenance issue and not a problem created by the manufacturer.

John Cox, a retired pilot and professor of aviation safety at the University of Southern California, agreed. “I don’t see any impact for Boeing as it was a United maintenance team that changed the tyre,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the incident, as confirmed by spokesperson Tony Molinaro.

(With inputs from AP)