Plane's wheel falls off during takeoff

Updated
Delta flight lost wheel during takeoff in Israel
Delta flight lost wheel during takeoff in Israel



A Delta Airlines plane taking off from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport last week lost a wheel and part of the braking system during takeoff.

The Delta plane in question is thought to have been the 469 flight which was heading to New York last Saturday evening.

See also: Airline trials pre-loading hand luggage 'valet' service​

According to the Times of Israel, the debris 'plunged to the ground' and was then left undetected on the runway for the next five hours while planes carried on taking off and landing.

A warning system alerting staff to the debris had been dismissed as a false alarm. It was only after dawn broke that the debris became clearly visible and immediately cleared away.

See also: Delta plane engine casing rips off mid-air

Despite the missing components, the plane landed safely at New York's JFK airport, according to reports.

Just last month Delta announced it would be adding four new weekly flights to connect Tel Aviv and New York.

The flights will start operating as of next summer and will give Delta a total of 11 flights a week on this route, according to Y Net News.

Nat Pieper, Delta's senior vice president, said: "In response to our customers' demands we decided to expand our direct service on this line."

This comes after American Airlines made the decision to stop flights to Israel as of January next year.

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