A British Airways aircraft experienced a dramatic incident during takeoff from Las Vegas on Monday night when one of its wheels detached from the landing gear. The London-bound Airbus A350-1000 was departing Harry Reid International Airport when the rear wheel broke away, captured in striking video footage that showed sparks emanating from the right main landing gear before the tyre fell to the ground.
Flight Continues Safely to London Heathrow
Despite the alarming occurrence, flight BA274 proceeded with its scheduled nine-hour transatlantic journey to London Heathrow. According to flight tracking service Flightradar, the aircraft made what was described as a 'safe and uneventful' landing at its destination. The detached wheel was subsequently retrieved from the airfield area in Las Vegas, with no injuries reported and no damage to airport property confirmed.
Investigations Underway as Airbus Faces Scrutiny
The cause of the wheel detachment remains unclear, prompting an official investigation. A British Airways spokesperson stated that the airline is fully cooperating with authorities, emphasising that 'safety and security underpins everything we do.' Harry Reid International Airport also acknowledged the incident, noting that the aircraft departed and continued to London where it landed safely without further complications.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of recent challenges for Airbus, the manufacturer of the A350-1000 involved. In November, Airbus issued a major recall affecting more than half of the global fleet of its widely used A320 family jets, causing significant travel disruptions worldwide. The recall represented one of the largest in Airbus's 55-year history and came shortly after the A320 surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered aircraft model.
Recent Airbus Quality Control Issues
The November recall involved approximately 3,000 A320-family jets that were in operation at the time, requiring airlines across multiple continents to address software issues. While the fix was relatively straightforward—reverting to earlier software versions—it resulted in numerous flight delays and cancellations affecting carriers from the United States to South America, Europe, India, and New Zealand.
Just days after this software problem grounded thousands of aircraft, Airbus identified another issue in early December concerning supplier quality affecting a limited number of A320 metal panels. An Airbus spokesperson explained that the company was taking a conservative approach by inspecting all potentially impacted aircraft, though only a portion would require further action. The spokesperson clarified that the problem stemmed from a supplier's quality control process rather than safety concerns, with the source identified and contained, and newly produced panels meeting all requirements.
While the wheel detachment incident in Las Vegas involves a different Airbus model (A350-1000) than those affected by the recent recalls (A320 family), it brings additional attention to the manufacturer's quality assurance processes and aviation safety protocols. The investigation into the British Airways incident will seek to determine whether this was an isolated mechanical failure or indicative of broader concerns.
