Major tragedy averted at Atlanta airport as Delta's Boeing 757 loses nose wheel as it taxis to take off

Boeing, which has been facing scrutiny following the mid-air blowout of a fuselage panel in 737 MAX 9 jet flown by Alaska Airlines, faced another trouble after the nose wheel of a Boeing 757 passenger jet, operated by Delta Air Lines, popped off and rolled away when the aircraft was lining up for takeoff from Atlanta’s international airport.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred over the weekend at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. None of the 184 passengers or six crew members aboard was hurt in the incident.

As per a preliminary FAA notice, the 757 aircraft was lining up and waiting for takeoff when the “nose wheel came off and rolled down the hill.” It was scheduled for a flight to Bogota, Colombia, when the mishap occurred.

As per the ATC conversation, another airline lining up for takeoff informed them that the nose wheel of the Delta Air Lines 757 passenger aircraft ahead of it, preparing to depart, popped off.

🇺🇸 Samedi dernier, la roulette de nez d'un Boeing 757-200 de Delta Air Lines s'est détachée alors que l'avion s'alignait pour décoller de l'aéroport d'Atlanta.

▫️L’avion, immatriculé N672DL, devait décoller pour Bogota. pic.twitter.com/OngW4UseIk

— air plus news (@airplusnews) January 24, 2024

A spokesperson of Delta Air Lines said the passengers were put on a replacement flight, the New York Times said in a report.

As per the NYT report, Boeing declined comment and directed questions to the airline. The FAA told the newspaper it was continuing its investigation of the incident.

Multiple aviation mishaps involving Boring aircraft have been reported in the past few weeks.

On 5 January, an 8-week-old Boeing 737 MAZ 9 aircraft operating for Alaska Airlines saw a mid-air blowout of a fuselage panel that left a gaping hold in the jet.

The FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after the 5 January incident.

In its new “Safety Alert for Operators,” the FAA said some airlines had conducted additional inspections on the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs and had noted “findings with bolts during the maintenance inspections.”

The 737-900ER is more widely used than the 737 MAX 9. It is an older model but has the same optional door plug design that allows for the addition of an extra emergency exit door when carriers opt to install more seats.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the only two US carriers that use the MAX 9, this month said they had found loose parts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft during preliminary checks.

With inputs from agencies