Photo: Getty Images
A video shared online shows the exact moment a Boeing 737 FlySafair airplane lost its wheel and had smoke exploding out of it during takeoff.
The video was released by the airline and shared by aviation and defense journalist Dean Wingrin on his X account after he had previously posted a screengrab of the plane's tracked flight pattern and claimed "flight FA212 lost a wheel" during takeoff from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, noting that the plane was scheduled to "return to airport and landing now."
The aircraft, which was initially scheduled to arrive in Cape Town, is seen emitting smoke from the unprotected wheel hub while landing on the runway in Johannesburg before a loud bang is heard as it screeched along the path before finally coming to a stop.
The incident resulted in both the undercarriage and right wing partially collapsing, however, no one involved was reported to have experienced injuries.
“The crew were alerted to the observation and the decision was taken to return to Johannesburg,” FlySafair spokesperson Kirby Gordon, EWN Eyewitness News, a local Johannesburg media outlet.
Experts assessed the landing gear as the plane made a low pass over the airport prior to giving the crew approval to return to the runway.
The incident is the latest in a series of recent malfunction involving Boeing planes as the company faces a Senate hearings over safety culture and manufacturing quality. Boeing aircrafts have been reported to have experienced several serious incidents after the door plug panel blew off of an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5.