A British Airways Airbus A350-1000 completed a transatlantic crossing and landed safely at Heathrow Airport today, despite losing one of its main landing gear wheels during departure from Las Vegas.
LONDON – The incident, which occurred Monday, January 26 2026 evening, involved flight BA274 operated by aircraft G-XWBN. As the wide-body jet too off from the runway 26R at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), an automated live stream captured the moment the right-rear wheel separated from the aircraft when the gear door was closing.
Transatlantic Transit
Despite the mechanical failure, the flight crew opted to continue the journey across the Atlantic. The aircraft climbed to its planned cruising altitude of 39,000 feet and proceeded toward the United Kingdom.
The decision to return to “base” at Heathrow rather than diverting to a nearby U.S. airport is often made in consultation with airline operations and engineering teams, provided the aircraft’s safety systems remain within acceptable margins.
Safety in Numbers: The 6-Wheel Bogie
A key factor in the Captain’s decision-making was likely the robust design of the Airbus A350-1000 landing gear. Unlike smaller aircraft, this variant features:
- Two main landing gear units, each equipped with a 6-wheel bogie.
- A total of 12 main wheels (plus two on the nose gear).
- Built-in redundancy that allows for safe operation even with a single tire or wheel failure.
- The aircraft is only 2 years old.
Arrival at Heathrow
Flight BA274 touched down in London at 14:28 GMT today, following a total flight duration of 9 hours and 14 minutes. Emergency services were likely on standby as a precaution, but the aircraft landed without further incident on runway 09L then taxied to Terminal 5.
The aircraft has been taken out of service for inspection and repairs. British Airways has yet to release a formal statement regarding the cause of the wheel separation, but an investigation into the maintenance history of the gear assembly is expected.
