On January 26, 2026, a British Airways Airbus A350-1000 (flight BA274) lost its right rear main landing gear wheel shortly after takeoff from Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport en route to London Heathrow, but landed safely with no injuries.
Incident Details
- The aircraft (registration G-XWBN) departed runway 26R around 05:05 UTC (21:05 local time), with sparks visible from the right main landing gear during liftoff and the wheel detaching as the gear retracted.
- Video footage from a Flightradar24 live stream and airport cameras captured the event, showing the wheel falling away during climbout.
- The flight continued for 9 hours and 17 minutes, landing uneventfully at Heathrow 27 minutes early.
Response and Investigation
- British Airways stated it is supporting authorities in their probe, emphasizing safety as a priority, with no cause details released yet.
- Airport officials retrieved the tire from the airfield; no ground injuries or property damage occurred.
- The A350-1000’s main landing gear has six wheels per side in three pairs; the lost wheel was the rearmost on the right bogie.
Updates
- The aircraft has not flown since the incident per tracking data.
- Coverage appeared in multiple outlets on January 27, including video replays shared widely.
