United Airlines Boeing plane loses wheel after takeoff from Los Angeles and lands safely in Denver

[Wicked Blue]

This happened on Monday so I didn't post it in LBN

NBC
July 8, 2024, 8:09 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — A United Airlines Boeing jet lost a main landing gear wheel Monday while taking off from Los Angeles and later landed safely in Denver, the airline said.

There were no reported injuries on the ground or on board Flight 1001, United said in a statement.

“The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event,” the statement said.

The Boeing 757-200 was carrying 174 passengers and 7 crew members.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/united-airlines-boeing-plane-loses-wheel-takeoff-los-angeles-lands-rcna160797

[hlthe2b]

1. Along with the UA pilot, Denver (DIA) has some top-notch traffic controllers and grounds crews. KUDOS all!

[BComplex]

2. All these Boeing planes falling apart in the air makes me really nervous. We're supposed to fly United

from the east coast to California on a United Airlines Boeing jet in a couple of months, and it will be the first time we've flown since before COVID. I'd drive or take a train if we had time, which we don't have.

[Ocelot II]

3. This incident would have had nothing to do with Boeing.

The 757-200 series are at least 20 years old; most were made before the McDonnell-Douglas merger that caused Boeing's quality control to take a back seat to profits. Losing a landing gear wheel would have been a maintenance issue, squarely in the lap of the airline or its contractors, not Boeing.

[regnaD kciN]

4. I'd be less worried about Boeing than United maintenance...

Both the United aircraft that lost a wheel this year were older (the 757 ended production more than a decade ago) and would have needed many, many tire replacements over the course of its life, which would be carried out by United service, not Boeing. This is much as if your 2005 Honda Accord was to have a wheel come loose while driving – it’s obvious that the fault lies with whoever changed your tires last, not Honda.

[BComplex]

5. Thanks Ocelot and Nick Danger! That's reassuring....sort of! Now I'm concerned about United's maintenance

team. But at least I'm hopeful I get on an older Boeing jet from before the merger. These are definitely weird times, no?