(NewsNation) — In the latest in a string of safety concerns about Boeing aircraft, a Boeing 757 lost a nose wheel on the runway Saturday, sparking an FAA investigation.
The Delta flight was taking off from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the weekend to head to Bogota, Colombia when the wheel came off and rolled down an embankment.
An air traffic controller notified the pilot and the passengers were returned to the terminal. The 172 passengers on board were eventually put on a different plane to proceed on their delayed journey.
Delta said a nose gear tire had come loose from the landing gear and apologized for the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, the agency announced Tuesday.
“Delta Flight 982 ATL/BOG was taxiing for departure when a nose gear tire came loose from the landing gear. All customers and their bags were removed from the aircraft, transferred to the gate and onto a replacement aircraft. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the company said in a statement.
The incident comes after a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight earlier in the month. The plane depressurized shortly after takeoff and returned safely to the airport with no fatalities, though some passengers were injured.
In the wake of the door plug incident, the FAA grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 planes and inspections from airlines found several loose bolts.
More recently, a Boeing cargo jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami after engine failure.
The FAA announced it was investigating the company to ensure it was complying with regulations and announced it would be inspecting production lines.
The agency said Boeing will be required to develop a repair and inspection process for the 737 Max planes, which the FAA will have to approve, and all planes will need to go through the process before they can be ungrounded.
The recent events and safety concerns have raised older Boeing incidents, including a 2018 crash in Indonesia and a 2019 crash in Ethiopia — both involving Boeing Max 8s.
At the time, the company paid billions to settle with the U.S. Department of Justice after the crashes but the latest incidents are once again raising concerns about the culture around safety at the company.
Boeing has said it will cooperate with all investigations.