SAN FRANCISCO- On Thursday, a United Airlines (UA) flight operated by Boeing 777 en route to Kansai Osaka (KIX), Japan, experienced a landing gear tire issue during takeoff from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), leading to a diversion to Los Angeles (LAX).
The incident occurred around 11:35 a.m., with tire debris landing on vehicles in an on-airport employee lot.
United 777 Loses Tire on Takeoff
Doug Yakel, SFO’s spokesperson, confirmed no injuries. A video capturing the takeoff reveals a tire detaching from the landing gear and descending into the sky.
Footage from ABC7, a media partner of The Standard, displays damaged cars in front of a knocked-over chain-link fence at the airport.
The runway underwent a brief closure for debris clearance but has since reopened without any additional impact on operations, as stated by Yakel.
According to data retrieved from the FlightAware website, a Boeing 777-222 aircraft, originally scheduled for departure from the airport at 11:05 a.m., took off at 11:22 a.m. before being redirected to Los Angeles International Airport.
Official Remarks
United, in a statement to The Standard, verified that the aircraft lost a single tire post-takeoff. The airplane, equipped with six tires on each of its two landing gear struts, is engineered to execute safe landings even in the presence of missing or damaged tires, according to the airline.
United expressed gratitude to its pilots and flight attendants for their professional handling of the situation. The airline also acknowledged its ground teams, who promptly provided a tug to relocate the aircraft upon landing, and the airport teams that assisted customers upon their arrival.
Additionally, United stated that it is collaborating with the owners of the affected vehicles to ensure their needs are addressed.
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