United Airlines is currently addressing concerns after an unsettling incident involving one of its aircrafts. On July 8, United Airlines flight 1001, a Boeing 757-200, experienced an alarming anomaly as it departed from Los Angeles International Airport around 7:00 AM heading towards Denver, Colorado. Just as it took off, the aircraft shockingly lost one of its landing-gear wheels. The plane was loaded with 174 passengers and seven crew members at the time of the incident.
According to a passenger, Allen Stubblefield, who spoke with CBS News, the initial takeoff felt normal, but soon after, the pilot made an announcement over the PA system. He informed the passengers about the missing wheel and declared that an emergency landing would be necessary upon their arrival in Denver. A flight attendant instructed passengers to brace for the landing multiple times as they approached their destination.
Stubblefield described the landing as less than smooth, noticing a significant bump, but thankfully, that was the extent of the disturbance. Images captured show the aircraft as it is (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images). Remarkably, the plane managed to land safely in Denver approximately three hours later without any reported injuries among those on board.
A United Airlines spokesperson spoke to KTLA 5, confirming the incident: “United Flight 1001 landed safely in Denver after losing one wheel on takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport. The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event.” UNILAD has reached out to United Airlines for more details.
Interestingly, this is not the first occurrence of this nature involving a Boeing 757. Earlier in the year, in January, a Boeing 757 operated by Delta Air Lines lost a nose wheel during taxiing for takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Furthermore, in March, another United Airlines flight, UA35, faced a similar issue.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777, was captured on video by the YouTube channel CaliPlanes as it lost a wheel shortly after takeoff from San Francisco. The wheel ended up landing in a parking area, damaging several vehicles, thankfully without injuring anyone. The flight, destined for Japan, had to redirect and perform an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport, where it landed safely.
Production of the Boeing 757 planes ceased in 2004, as confirmed by a Boeing spokesperson to Reuters.