A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan, was forced to divert to Los Angeles on Thursday after a dramatic incident during takeoff that saw one of the aircrafts tires detach and strike a parking lot, damaging several vehicles.The incident unfolded shortly before 11 a.m. PST, when United Airlines Flight 35, a Boeing 777-200 carrying 249 passengers, lifted off from San Francisco International Airport en route to its destination in Japan. However, one of the aircrafts six landing gear tires came loose, resulting in a mid-air emergency.UA 35 had lifted off and was on its route to Osaka, Japan, when one of its six landing gear tires came off, confirmed a United Airlines representative in an email to USA TODAY. At 1:39 p.m., the Boeing 777-200 made a diversion to Los Angeles International Airport, as reported by FlightAware.According to NBC Bay Area, the runway at San Francisco International Airport was briefly closed to allow ground crews to remove any debris from the incident. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.Despite the dramatic turn of events, United Airlines commended the professionalism of its staff in handling the situation. Were grateful to our pilots and flight attendants for their professionalism in managing this situation, the airline stated. Were also grateful to our teams on the ground who were waiting with a tug to move the aircraft soon after it landed and to our teams in the airport who assisted customers upon their arrival.The airline further confirmed that the passengers journey to Osaka would resume on Thursday night aboard a replacement aircraft.This incident marks the third flight-related event involving a Boeing aircraft within the past 48 hours, following a similar tire-related emergency landing by another Boeing flight just the day before.While investigations into the cause of the tire detachment are ongoing, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust safety protocols and the invaluable role played by well-trained flight crews in ensuring the well-being of passengers during unexpected emergencies.
