Wheel falls off United Airlines Boeing plane during takeoff in Los Angeles

A Boeing jet taking off from Los Angeles has lost a wheel, the latest in a series of security scares facing the airline giant.

United Airlines, which operates the Boeing 757-200, said the plane lost its steering wheel on Monday after departing Los Angeles International Airport but landed safely in Denver, its intended destination.

“The wheel was found in Los Angeles and we are investigating the cause of this incident,” the airline said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries on the ground or among the 174 passengers and seven crew members on board.

This is the second time in recent months that a United Airlines Boeing plane has lost a wheel after takeoff.

In March, a tire on a United Airlines Boeing 777 bound for Japan ruptured shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

In January, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 lost its nose wheel as it prepared for takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Delta said one of the plane’s nose frames and wing broke off and then slid down a hill. Passengers were forced to eject from the plane, but no one was injured.

Boeing Co. agreed Monday to plead guilty to fraud charges as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over two 737 Max crashes.

Boeing has faced renewed scrutiny of the 737 Max this year after a fuselage door seal on the same plane blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

The 757-200 that took off Monday was first delivered 30 years ago in 1994, a Boeing spokesman said in an email.

The 757 was discontinued in 2004.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, which occurred on Monday.

Additional reporting from Bloomberg and Tribune News Service