In an incident similar to one this past March, a wheel popped off a Boeing (BA) 757-200 operated by United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) during takeoff from Los Angeles.
A main landing gear wheel flew off while United (UAL) flight 1001 departed from LA International airport, landing safely at Denver International Airport later that same morning. There were no injuries aboard the flight.
Back in March, a wheel fell off a Boeing (BA) 777-200 during takeoff on a United (UAL) flight from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan. The flight was subsequently diverted to Los Angeles. While there were no injuries among the passengers on the flight, several cars in the parking lot were damaged by the runaway tire. The incident was just another in a series of events that ultimately triggered an investigation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration into United Airlines (UAL).
Boeing (BA), meanwhile, has been plagued by a series of accidents and safety issues that ultimately ended with a guilty plea by the aircraft manufacturer to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. As part of the proposed settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, Boeing (BA) faces a maximum criminal fine of $487.2M.