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A Boeing 747 Dreamliner lost one of its main landing gear tires, weighing about 100 kg (220 pounds), seconds after taking off from the airport.
The Boeing Dreamlifter, the world’s longest cargo aircraft, was being operated by the U.S. cargo airline, Atlas Air (5Y), when it took off from Taranto-Grottaglie Airport (TAR) in Italy on Tuesday at 2.14 pm local time. As the 180-tonne cargo jet flew a few meters above the ground, one of its landing wheels fell to the ground, according to reports.
The unprecedented moment got caught on camera, and was shared online.
The video shows the wheel plummeting to the ground from the aircraft. Furthermore, a black trail of smoke is seen shooting from the landing gear wheel before it finally drops to the ground.
As the video went viral on social media, users also questioned the ground engineer for negligence in pre-flight checks.
” A mechanic needs to be fired!!” wrote one of the Twitter users, responding to the video.
“Good landing just now. I’m pleased they got down safely,” remarked another.
According to a statement issued by Boeing, the plane landed safely at Charleston International Airport, South Carolina, after losing the wheel, media outlet NDTV reported.
“A Dreamlifter cargo flight operated by Atlas Air landed safely earlier today at Charleston International Airport, after losing a wheel assembly from its landing gear on takeoff from the Taranto-Grottaglie Airport in Italy this morning. We will support our operator’s investigation,” a Boeing spokesperson said.
Authorities found the wheel in a nearby vineyard close to the Italian airport, and no injuries were reported in the incident, the outlet added.
The Boeing 747 Dreamlifter is a modified version of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft used to transport heavy-load goods. According to Boeing, the Dreamlifter, which took its first flight in September 2006, is not certified to carry passengers.
In another separate incident, an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after parts of the plane engine flaked off. One of the passengers recorded a video of the moment when the plane’s cowling (a removable metal covering for the engine) separated from the aircraft, leaving the interiors exposed.
After the damage was discovered, the pilots turned the aircraft around to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and landed it safely.
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