Confirmation came from officials that a tire dislodged from a United Airlines flight departing from San Francisco International Airport bound for Osaka, Japan, on Thursday morning.
A spokesperson for United stated, “At approximately 11:35 a.m., United Flight 35 en route to Osaka experienced the loss of a portion of its landing gear tire during takeoff.”
The incident, captured on video, showed the moment the tire detached from the aircraft, which safely landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as confirmed by the company. The tire debris landed in an employee parking area at the airport. Although there were no reported injuries, SKY7 footage depicted police cordoning off cars potentially affected by the falling tire.
In response, United Airlines diverted the flight to LAX, where it landed without further incident. Crews are currently arranging for an alternate aircraft to transport passengers to Osaka later in the evening. The flight originally accommodated 235 customers, along with 10 flight attendants and four pilots, totaling 249 individuals.
The airline reassured that the Boeing 777-200 model, equipped with six tires on each of its main landing gear struts, is engineered to safely manage landings even in cases of missing or damaged tires.
Airport officials briefly closed the runway to clear debris but swiftly reopened it, with no significant impact on airport operations anticipated.
An eyewitness, Gary Glass, recounted witnessing the tire falling and causing damage to multiple vehicles. “At the speed and velocity that it was coming down, it would have crushed somebody like a grape,” he described.
The FAA has announced an investigation into the incident, while United Airlines released a statement expressing gratitude for the professionalism of their staff and assuring assistance for affected customers and vehicle owners.