United Airlines is under investigation after a wheel fell off a jet during takeoff from Los Angeles on Monday. The plane, carrying 174 passengers, landed safely in Denver with no injuries reported.
This marks the second similar incident for the airline this year.
United Airlines Under Federal Scrutiny
A second wheel falling off at takeoff has put United Airlines under heightened federal scrutiny again over passenger safety.
Early Monday, a Boeing 757-200 lost a wheel while climbing out of Los Angeles International Airport. Despite this mishap, the flight completed its journey to Denver without incident; no injuries were reported among the 174 passengers and crew onboard.
It is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. Earlier this year, the same problem occurred when another United Airlines jet lost a tire during takeoff.
The airline has been involved in several cases of mechanical failure, including having one of its engines caught fire and another with problems in the landing gear, which also triggered emergency landings and rigorous maintenance tests.
According to The Guardian, with the recurrence of these incidents, the Federal Aviation Administration has increased its pressure on United Airlines to look into the root cause of anything that happens to ensure this airline meets all the safety requirements expected.
But as United Airlines wrestles with these issues, the entire aviation community is on tenterhooks. The incidents have set off a federal review and touched off a wider debate about aging aircraft in airline fleets. The plane in the latest incident was nearly 30 years old.
United Airlines has reassured the public that they are cooperating fully with the FAA to review and enhance their operational protocols.
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Emergency Landings on Sunday
A United Airlines flight en route to Guam turned back to an airport in Chubu, Aichi Prefecture, after the crew detected a malfunctioning system. There were no reports of injuries after the Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying 44 passengers and six crew members. The plane landed safely back at the airport at around 11:35 a.m. on Sunday.
The transport ministry confirmed that the flight was subsequently canceled, and the runway was closed briefly. The aircraft itself did not suffer damage.
On the same day, there was a separate incident involving a Japanese regional airline. Airdo Co., said it had problems with the hydraulic system of one of its flights, a Boeing 737 flying from Tokyo's Haneda airport destined for Kushiro in Hokkaido.
The hitch occurred at about 5:45 pm. The flight was diverted to Memanbetsu Airport due to poor visibility caused by fog at Kushiro Airport. The aircraft touched down safely at around 6:15 p.m. with 148 passengers and crew aboard.
These operations were suspended temporarily at Memanbetsu Airport following the landing, affecting eight other flights that were either canceled or diverted. Airdo is currently investigating the cause of the hydraulic problem.
The two incidents again pointed out that airlines continue to face difficulties in maintaining safety and operational efficiency in the face of unexpected technical problems.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
