Flight Turns to Chaos After Plane Loses Wheel Mid-Air (Video)

A flight from Las Vegas to London got off to a terrifying start Monday night when one of the plane’s wheels detached shortly after takeoff, sending sparks flying as the aircraft climbed into the sky.

The incident happened around 9:05 p.m. local time after the jet departed Harry Reid International Airport. The aircraft, an Airbus A350-1000 operating British Airways Flight BA274, was headed for London Heathrow Airport when its right-side main landing gear malfunctioned during liftoff.

Video captured by flight-tracking service Flightradar showed sparks shooting from the landing gear moments before a wheel appeared to break free and fall to the ground below. The dramatic footage quickly spread online, raising concerns about what could have gone wrong during the critical takeoff phase.

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Despite the frightening malfunction, the pilots continued the flight across the Atlantic. After more than nine hours in the air, the plane landed safely in London without further incident.

British Airways later confirmed that no passengers or crew members were injured and that there were no reports of injuries on the ground in Las Vegas where the wheel came down.

The wheel separation comes at a time of increased scrutiny for Airbus. The aircraft manufacturer has recently dealt with several technical challenges, including a supplier quality issue that affected hundreds of aircraft panels and a flight-control software vulnerability that led to the grounding of thousands of jets worldwide.

Investigators are expected to examine the Las Vegas incident to determine exactly what caused the landing gear failure and whether additional inspections will be required. For passengers onboard, however, the ordeal ended with a safe landing — despite a takeoff few will soon forget.