Boeing 757 loses wheel before Delta flight takeoff, sparking FAA probe

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how a Boeing aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines lost the tire on its nose while taxiing for takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the agency said Tuesday.

The incident, which happened Saturday, involved a Boeing 757 plane that was headed to Bogotá, Colombia. “The passengers deplaned and were bused to the terminal,” it said in a statement.

A preliminary FAA report posted Monday said the nose wheel had rolled down a nearby hill. There were no injuries, according to the report.

Delta said a nose gear tire and rim had come loose from the landing gear and passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft. “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” it said in a statement.

The aircraft returned to service the next day, a Delta spokesman said via email.

A spokesperson for Boeing said the plane in question is 32 years old, adding that the company stopped building the 757 in 2004.

The incident comes amid intense scrutiny for Boeing and follows an accident earlier this month in which one of its 737 Max 9s, operated by Alaska Airlines, lost a chunk of its body midair, leaving a gaping hole beside a row of seats and endangering passengers. There were no fatalities, but federal officials grounded 171 of the Max 9s for inspections.

Alaska Airlines has checked its fleet of 65 Boeing 737 Max 9s since the Jan. 5 accident and said it found loose bolts on many of those jets, according to Ben Minicucci, the carrier’s chief executive.