SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — It’s the second time in four months that a United Airlines plane has lost a wheel during takeoff from California, the latest at Los Angeles International Airport.
This time, we’re hearing from a woman whose car was totaled when a wheel fell off a United Airlines plane taking off from San Francisco International Airport in March.
The incident when a tire fell off a United Airlines plane during takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday was a story that was all too familiar to Lauren Inthavong.
In March, a tire came off a United Airlines plane after taking off from San Francisco International Airport, and a 23-year-old man’s car was totaled.
Related: United Airlines tire comes off during takeoff at LAX
“I was shocked. I thought the worst thing that could happen would be that my car would be broken into. I never thought something like that would happen there,” Inthavong said.
Inthavong, who works in a lounge at San Francisco International Airport and commutes from Concord, said her car was totaled so she has been either borrowing one or taking BART.
“I still don’t have a car,” Inthavong said.
United Airlines said in a statement at the time that it was working with owners of vehicles damaged at San Francisco International Airport to ensure their needs were addressed, but Inthavong said she didn’t know how to contact the airline directly to report the damage to her car.
“I had no idea how to do it. It was all really new to me,” Inthavong said.
“Safety is our number one priority. We have worked with everyone who reported damage to their vehicle, but have not heard from the owner of this specific vehicle,” a United Airlines spokesperson told ABC7 News in an email.
United also shared a link where Inthavong could file a claim with the airline’s customer care team, which she said she plans to do. In the meantime, she said, her family’s insurance company has reimbursed her for the Kelley Blue Book value of the car. She’s hopeful United can help, too.
According to a United Airlines statement, the video shows the moment a tire came off a United Airlines plane that had taken off from San Francisco International Airport and landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport.
“I just wanted compensation for damaging my car,” Inthavong said.
The airline did not respond to questions about the second incident, when a tire fell off the plane during takeoff, which Inthavong said he worries about every time he goes to work.
“What if another tire comes off?” Inthavong said.
No injuries were reported on board or on the ground in Monday’s incident.
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