Boeing 757 Loses Wheel during Takeoff, 184 Passengers Unharmed

Wednesday 24 January 2024 - 10:09

This past weekend at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 bound for Bogota experienced a harrowing moment as it unexpectedly lost a front wheel just before taking off. Fortunately, none of the 184 passengers and crew onboard were injured.

According to a preliminary report filed on Monday with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft, awaiting clearance from the control tower, saw its left front wheel suddenly detach and roll along the tarmac before coming to a halt on the runway's edge.

Despite the spectacle, the incident appears to be linked to maintenance rather than a design flaw in the aircraft. The involved plane has faithfully served in Delta's fleet for 32 years.

This mishap follows a series of incidents involving other Boeing aircraft, including an emergency landing of an Atlas Air Boeing 747 cargo plane in Miami last week due to the discovery of a "softball-sized" hole in one of its engines.

It's another setback for the American aerospace manufacturer, already grappling with the 737 MAX crisis, grounded for over a year following two crashes that claimed 346 lives.