A Delta flight experienced a mechanical failure over the weekend when it lost its front tire while preparing for an international flight. The incident occurred at Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, just before noon. The Delta flight, which was headed for Bogota, Colombia, was moving into takeoff position on the runway when another aircraft noticed the issue and alerted the control tower.
The pilot of the following aircraft in the takeoff line reported the problem to the control tower, according to audio obtained by VASAviation. The pilot informed the control tower that the Delta flight had lost one of its nose tires. The Delta pilot acknowledged the issue, indicating a problem with the aircraft.
After the tire detached, it rolled across the runway and down an embankment, as reported by the pilot. Maintenance crews were immediately dispatched to the scene to locate the tire and assess the situation. Meanwhile, the other flights waiting in line were held in place.
A Southwest pilot inquired about the possibility of rerouting to another runway, given the potential delay. The control tower responded that they were in the process of managing the situation, which involved many moving parts behind the scenes. Eventually, the planes were rerouted to other runways, while the Delta plane remained on the tarmac for three hours.
The cause of the tire detachment remains unclear. Delta did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication. This incident adds to the recent mechanical issues faced by Boeing. Earlier in January, a 737 Max 9 owned by Alaska Airlines lost a door plug mid-flight over Oregon, en route to California.