Turbulence continues at Boeing. A new incident occurred just days after whistleblowers testified before a US Senate inquiry to report “serious problems” on the Boeing 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777 planes. is precisely a Boeing 737 which, Sunday April 21, 2024, lost a wheel during takeoff in Johannesburg (South Africa), reports the site News24 relayed by The Independent .
An emergency landing
In detail, this FlySafair plane lost a rear wheel when it took off. An incident that was quickly noticed by ground staff. “The crew was alerted and the decision was made to return to Johannesburg”confided Kirby Gordon, marketing director and spokesperson for the airline operator.
“Flight FA212 adjusted its trajectory towards Johannesburg and entered a holding pattern near Parys to burn fuel and lighten the aircraft in preparation for landing”, said the company representative. The aircraft then made a low altitude pass to allow experts to assess the damage. The driver then received the green light to return to the track despite the absence of a wheel.
An open investigation
Once the plane had stopped, the passengers were disembarked and then invited to board another plane to Cape Town, where they finally arrived a few hours late. The company specifies that there were no injuries. An investigation has been opened to try to determine the precise circumstances of this new incident.
Door torn off in mid-flight, missing parts, injured passengers… The Boeing company has been navigating a storm for several months, which is doing business for its main competitor, Airbus. On March 25, the company announced the departure of its boss Dave Calhoun, who is expected to leave his position by the end of the year.
