A Delta Air Lines plane lost a nose tire while it was taxiing to prepare for a departure from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the weekend, prompting a probe by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Delta Flight 982 on a Boeing 757 was preparing for takeoff to Bogota, Colombia, at around 11:15 a.m. Saturday when “a nose gear tire came loose from the landing gear,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement.
Passengers and their bags were taken off the plane. They were transported to the gate by bus and eventually boarded another plane. The flight took off more than five hours late, according to FlightAware.com.
“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” Delta said.
The FAA said it will investigate.
Delta’s fleet of Boeing 757-200s has an average age of more than 25 years, according to an annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last year. Delta has a mix of older and newer aircraft in its fleet, and airlines regularly conduct maintenance and replace parts on older aircraft.
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