A United Airlines flight bound for Japan safely touched down at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday following an unsettling event during takeoff from San Francisco. The aircraft, carrying 235 passengers and a crew of 14, experienced the loss of one of its six tyres on the left-side main landing gear assembly.
A widely circulated video captured the moment when the plane's tyre detached shortly after departing from San Francisco, creating a buzz on social media platforms.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as a result of the incident. However, the tyre, upon separation, landed in an employee parking area at San Francisco International Airport. It struck a parked car, shattering its rear window, before breaking through a fence and coming to rest in an adjacent lot.
Following the occurrence, the Boeing 777 executed a routine landing, touching down smoothly about two-thirds of the way down the runway. Subsequently, it was towed from the runway to a designated area.
United Airlines issued a statement reassuring passengers that the aircraft, which was manufactured in 2002, is equipped to land safely even in the event of missing or damaged tyres. Passengers will be accommodated on another flight to complete their journey, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will undertake a thorough investigation into the incident to determine its cause and any potential safety implications.
