What was meant to be a routine transatlantic flight quickly became a tense moment after an unexpected malfunction during takeoff.
Newly surfaced footage shows a British Airways aircraft losing a rear landing-gear wheel just after lifting off from Las Vegas late Monday night, January 26. Despite the failure, the plane continued its ascent and departed as scheduled for London.
The aircraft, identified as an Airbus A350-1000 operating as flight BA274, took off from Harry Reid International Airport around 9:10 p.m. local time. In the video, an object can be seen separating from the underside of the jet moments after liftoff and falling back toward the runway. Authorities later confirmed the object was a wheel from the main landing gear.
The detached wheel landed within airport property, and officials reported no injuries or damage.
Remarkably, the aircraft completed the journey without further incident, arriving at London Heathrow 27 minutes ahead of schedule, according to flight-tracking data. British Airways said in a statement that safety remains its top priority and that it is cooperating fully with investigators.
Airport officials also confirmed they were aware of the incident and emphasized that the aircraft landed safely in London.
