A 17-year-old student pilot making her first solo flight executed a successful emergency landing in Massachusetts after losing a wheel during takeoff, authorities said.
Shortly after takeoff, Maggie Taraska on commands of the single-engine aircraft reported losing her right main wheel assembly, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
An instructor on the ground talked the pilot through the proper technique for an emergency landing, which she made successfully at about 5:45 p.m.
The pilot wasn’t hurt, although the plane suffered significant damage. The FAA is investigating.