United Airlines flight lands safely in Denver after wheel falls off during takeoff

July 9 (UPI) -- United Airlines said it is investigating how the wheel of a Boeing 757-200 fell off on takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday before standing safely in Denver.

United Flight 1001, carrying 174 passengers and seven crewmembers, landed at Denver International Airport without incident after an emergency landing. Crews recovered the wheel that dislodged from the back portion of the plane in Los Angeles.

Other pilots contacted air traffic control alerting that the wheel of the plane was rolling down the runway after the United flight had taken off.

It marked the second time this year a United Airlines flight dealt with a loose tire. In March, a tire came off a United Boeing 777 on takeoff from San Francisco International Airport to LAX. While the plane landed safely in Los Angeles, the tire damaged numerous vehicles in a parking lot in San Francisco.

"Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said after the March incident, according to USA Today.

"While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus."

Kirby addressed other recent incidents at United, which included an engine fire mid-flight, a damaged wing, stuck rudder pedals and a "security issue" that forced an emergency landing.