A United Airlines jetliner bound for Japan made a safe landing in Los Angeles on Thursday after losing a tyre while taking off from San Francisco.
Fire engines stood by at Los Angeles International Airport but were not needed, as the Boeing 777 made an uneventful landing.
Airport spokesman Dae Levine said the plane landed safely two-thirds of the way down a runway.
The flight was carrying 235 passengers and a crew of 14.
United Airlines said the plane, built in 2002, was designed to land safely with missing or damaged tyres.
Boeing 777s have six tyres on each of the two main landing gears.
Video of Flight 35 departing shows the plane losing one of the six tyres on its left-side main landing gear assembly seconds after take-off.
Pic: AP
Tyre debris landed in an airport carpark at San Francisco International Airport.
No one was injured but a car was badly damaged.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.
I’ve been on hundreds of flights and never had any problems. I trust the airlines to maintain their planes properly.
I’m an expert on aviation safety, and I can tell you that this was a very rare occurrence. The pilot did an excellent job.
I’ve been on several flights that have lost a tire on take-off. It’s not as uncommon as you might think.
I wonder if the tire bounced all the way to Kansas?
I’m glad the pilot was able to land the plane safely. It’s a reminder that even the most experienced pilots can face unexpected challenges.
Oh, great. Just what I needed to hear before my flight next week.
I wonder if the pilot was at fault? Seems like they should have been able to keep the plane in the air.
This is terrifying! I’m flying next week and can’t stop thinking about this.
I’m too scared to fly now. I’m going to take the train instead.
Passenger jet makes emergency landing after losing tire on take-off. What went wrong?
I’m not worried. I’ve seen ‘Airplane!’ a thousand times. I know how this ends.
I hope the airline conducts a thorough investigation to determine what caused the tire to detach. Safety should always be the top priority.