Dramatic footage has emerged capturing the moment a British Airways flight to London experienced a critical mechanical failure during take-off from Las Vegas, losing one of its rear wheels shortly after becoming airborne.
Incident Details and Flight Path
The incident occurred on Monday evening local time, as the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft departed from Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada at approximately 9.10pm. Video evidence clearly shows a shadowy wheel detaching from the rear section of the landing gear as the plane climbed into the night sky.
Despite this alarming development, the flight continued its transatlantic journey across the Atlantic Ocean without further complications. According to flight tracking data from flightradar24, the aircraft actually landed at its London destination 27 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time, demonstrating the crew's effective handling of the situation.
Official Responses and Investigation
British Airways has issued a formal statement addressing the incident, emphasising their commitment to safety protocols. "Safety and security underpins everything we do and we're supporting the authorities with their investigations," the airline confirmed.
Harry Reid International Airport officials have also acknowledged the event, noting that they were "aware of an incident involving a British Airways aircraft that departed LAS last night and continued on to London, where it landed safely without further incident."
Recovery and Safety Assessment
Airport personnel successfully retrieved the detached tyre from the airfield following the departure. Crucially, there were no reported injuries to passengers or crew members, and no damage occurred to airport property during the incident.
Aviation authorities have yet to determine the precise cause of the wheel separation, with investigations currently underway to establish what technical or maintenance factors might have contributed to this unusual mechanical failure.
