United Airlines plane loses wheel during takeoff in Los Angeles – the latest incident for the airline

CNN
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A United Airlines plane lost a wheel during takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, authorities said. This is the latest problem this year for the airline, which was already the focus of a safety review by the US aviation authorities.

The Boeing 757-200 whose wheel was lost was able to continue its scheduled flight to Denver and land safely, United said. No injuries were reported on the ground.

There were 174 customers and seven crew members on board, the airline said.

“The wheel was recovered in Los Angeles and we are investigating what caused this incident,” the airline said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.

The incident occurred months after another United Airlines flight lost a wheel during takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, damaging several cars in a parking lot.

The plane, which was bound for Osaka, Japan, landed safely in Los Angeles, officials said at the time. No injuries were reported.

According to a CNN analysis, the incident was one of at least a dozen related to United Airlines flights in March. The incident prompted CEO Scott Kirby to send a safety message to customers.

At the time, he said the incidents were “unrelated” but “caught our attention and sharpened our focus.”

That same month, the FAA began a safety review of the airline, according to a United memo.

“Over the next few weeks, we will see a greater FAA presence in our operations as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities,” United said in a memo to employees obtained by CNN. The review will mean an “even closer look at several areas of our operations to ensure we are doing everything we can to promote and advance safety compliance.”

In a statement at the time, the FAA said its “safety assurance system routinely monitors all aspects of aircraft operations. It focuses on an airline’s compliance with applicable regulations, ability to identify hazards, assess and mitigate risks, and effectively manage safety.”

CNN’s Gregory Wallace, Samantha Delouya, Taylor Romine and Sara Smart contributed to this report.