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Shocking video shows Boeing Dreamlifter losing its wheel moments after take-off as smoke billows

The Boeing 747, which was operating under Atlas Air and traveling from Taranto in Italy, landed safely in Charleston, South Carolina, after the mishap

TARANTO, ITALY: A large Boeing aircraft lost a wheel from its main landing gear just moments after departing from Taranto Airport (TAR) in Italy. But managed to land safely in the United States after crossing the Atlantic.

A Boeing 747, also known as the Dreamlifter, registration N718BA, operating under Atlas Air from Taranto in Italy to Charleston had a mishap on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, when it lost a 100kg (220.462lbs) wheel after departing from the airport. Footage of the incident shows the smoky wheel flying through the air before disappearing in the clouds.

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A wave of black smoke was seen coming out of the landing gear as the wheel became loose. After disappearing in the air, the wheel was then seen hitting the ground and bouncing along below the plane. The social media user who posted the video of the mishap also posted a clip of the wheel apparently in a forest covered with leaves.

Posting the event on Twitter, the user said, "Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter has one of its tires on fire and loses its wheel after take off." To lighten the mood, another user asked whether the plane needed the wheel after all. Others shared their hopes that the aircraft would "land safely when the time comes".

The super-sized cargo version of a Jumbo Jet managed to land safely at its destination in South Carolina after 7 pm (UK Time). However, the incident caused a stir in the aviation community.

The Dreamlifter has a volume of 65,000 cubic feet, and it can hold three times that of a 747-400F freighter. The variant was converted to a Large Cargo Freighter variant in 2007 when it went from Malaysia Airlines to Evergreen International Airlines. Currently, there are four Boeing 747-400 (LCF) worldwide. All of these planes are operated by Atlas Air.

However, this is not the first when such a horrific incident has happened with Boeing. In September 2022, a routine United Airlines flight made an emergency landing after sparks were seen coming out of the humongous aircraft. After experiencing a hydraulic pressure pump failure, the pilot of a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 (registered N787UA) flight went into a holding pattern at 24,000ft over the Atlantic. The horrific moment was captured by a nearby plane spotter, who was astonished after looking at the sparks coming out of the aircraft. He also took a photograph of a piece of rectangular, rusty-looking piece of debris that fell to the ground.