Despite losing one of its main landing gear wheels during take-off from Las Vegas, a British Airways Airbus A350-1000 passenger aircraft crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed safely at London Heathrow Airport. The incident was closely monitored from an aviation safety perspective.
Incident Occurred During Take-off in Las Vegas
The incident took place on Monday evening, 26 January 2026, on British Airways flight BA274 operating from Las Vegas to London Heathrow. The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, registered G-XWBN, was observed to have lost one of the rear wheels of its right main landing gear while taking off from Runway 26R at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
The moment was captured on automated live broadcast recordings around the runway, with footage clearly showing the wheel detaching from the aircraft as the landing gear doors were closing.
Crew Decided to Continue the Transatlantic Crossing
Despite the mechanical failure, the flight crew decided to continue the flight after completing initial system checks. The aircraft climbed to its planned cruising altitude of 39,000 feet (FL390) and proceeded across the Atlantic Ocean towards the United Kingdom.
According to aviation procedures, in such cases—provided the aircraft’s flight safety parameters remain within acceptable limits—a decision may be made, in coordination with airline operations and engineering teams, to return to the main base airport rather than divert to the nearest suitable airport.
Decision Influenced by the A350-1000’s Robust Landing Gear Design
One of the key factors influencing the captain’s decision was the landing gear design of the Airbus A350-1000. This wide-body variant offers a high level of redundancy compared to smaller aircraft:
- Two main landing gear assemblies, each with six-wheel bogies,
- A total of 12 main wheels (14 including the nose landing gear),
- Systems that allow a safe landing even in the event of a single tyre or wheel rim failure,
- The aircraft being only two years old.
Thanks to this configuration, the loss of a single wheel did not critically affect the aircraft’s landing capability.
Smooth Landing at Heathrow
Flight BA274 landed at London Heathrow Airport at 14:28 GMT after a flight lasting 9 hours and 14 minutes.
Emergency services were positioned on standby as a precaution, while the aircraft made a smooth landing on Runway 09L and subsequently taxied to Terminal 5.
Following the landing, the aircraft was withdrawn from service for a detailed technical inspection and repair.
Investigation Expected to Be Launched
British Airways has not yet issued an official statement regarding the cause of the wheel separation. However, a technical investigation is expected to be initiated, focusing on maintenance records and the service history of the landing gear components.
