The incident at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport did not result in any injuries to the 184 passengers or six crew members.

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 narrowly avoided a major mishap when its nose wheel fell off as it was preparing for takeoff at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport on Saturday, January 20, 2024. The incident occurred while the aircraft was lining up on the runway, just moments before departure. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the nose wheel detached and rolled down a nearby hill.

Fortunately, there were no injuries among the 184 passengers or six crew members on board. Delta reported that the plane was scheduled to fly from Atlanta to Bogotá, Colombia, and that the passengers were rebooked on a replacement flight.

The Boeing 757, which typically has two rubber nose wheel tires positioned side by side, was thoroughly checked before flight, as per standard protocol. The FAA has launched an investigation into the cause of the wheel detachment, but further details remain unclear.

The incident follows increased scrutiny of Boeing aircraft after a separate incident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, in which a fuselage piece fell off mid-flight earlier in January, leading the FAA to issue inspection recommendations for certain Boeing models.

While the investigation into the Delta Air Lines incident continues, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun reassured the public that safety remains the company’s top priority, stating, “We don’t put planes in the air that we don’t have 100% confidence in.”

The recent series of incidents involving Boeing planes has raised passenger concerns, prompting online travel agency Kayak to update its search filters, allowing customers to avoid flights operating with Boeing’s 737 Max models.