A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 jet lost a nose gear while preparing for takeoff from Atlanta, potentially creating more uncertainty around one of the nation’s top manufacturers after a disturbing series of incidents involving its planes.
Delta Flight 982 – bound for Bogota, Colombia – was taxiing for departure at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when the incident occurred around 11:15 a.m. Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident.
“All customers and their bags were removed from the aircraft, transferred to the gate and placed on a replacement aircraft,” Delta said. “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
No one was injured, a Delta spokesperson told The Associated Press, adding that the plane was taken out of service and returned to service the next day.
There were 172 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants on board the flight, according to the Atlanta-based airline.
When contacted by AP on Wednesday, Boeing provided no further comment. The Arlington, Virginia-based aircraft manufacturer ended production of the 757 nearly two decades ago.
There have been a series of accidents involving Boeing planes in recent years – including two crashes of Max 8 planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed a total of 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
Earlier this month, a door plug blew off an Alaska Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner at 15,000 feet over Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. Since then, Alaska Airlines and United reported finding loose bolts and other problems in the panel doors of an unspecified number of other Max 9s.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was in Washington DC on Wednesday to meet with lawmakers about the Max 9’s safety.
Calhoun’s visit to Washington on Wednesday was preceded by ongoing regulatory investigations and harsh criticism of Boeing within and outside the aerospace industry.