Delta Air Lines B757 aircraft loses nose wheel just before takeoff from Atlanta

Aviation Safety

A Boeing B757 aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines has lost its nose wheel as it was preparing to depart from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

The incident occurred on January 20, 2024, when flight DL 982 was taxiing before takeoff to Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Colombia.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety information analysis, the aircraft’s nose wheel “came off and rolled down the hill”.

None of the 184 passengers and six crew members aboard were reported to have been injured in the incident.

In air traffic control audio obtained by ABC News, a controller can be heard alerting the pilot to the situation, saying, “One of your nose tires just came off; it just rolled off the runway behind you.”

Following the incident, passengers onboard the B757 were returned to the airport terminal via buses. They were then placed on another aircraft flying onwards to their destination.

The nose wing mishap occurred amid intensified scrutiny of the FAA and airlines on Boeing aircraft, after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft suffered a door plug blowout mid-flight on January 5, 2024.