Terrifying moment WHEEL drops off packed Boeing passenger plane during takeoff and falls on runway

MULTIPLE cars appear to have been damaged after a packed plane passing overhead lost a wheel mid-flight.

Shocking video showed the moment the tyre dropped from the sky and smashed into vehicles on the ground in San Francisco.

A United Airlines jetliner bound for Japan made a safe landing in Los Angeles after losing a tyre during take-off

The tyre can be seen falling from the sky

Video apparently shot at San Francisco Airport shows a car damaged after the incident

United Airlines Flight UA35 from the US to Osaka, Japan was forced to land at Los Angeles International Airport in California on Thursday.

The Boeing 777 lost a wheel while taking off from San Francisco.

Emergency services were on standby at LAX Airport as the plane made an uneventful landing and stopped about two-thirds of the way down a runway.

Firemen confirmed there was no damage to the plane despite the missing tyre. It was then towed away.

Footage from someone on the ground showed cars lined up beside each other in a parking lot at the San Francisco International Airport, one of which was completely destroyed.

The car’s windows had been smashed and its side and trunk seemingly crushed by a heavy weight that came from above.

United Airlines said: “United flight 35 lost one tyre after takeoff from San Francisco and landed at LAX. Our team quickly arranged for a new aircraft to take customers to Osaka this evening.

“We’re grateful to our pilots and flight attendants for their professionalism in managing this situation.

“We will work with customers as well as with the owners of the damaged vehicles in SFO to ensure their needs are addressed.”

The flight carried 235 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and four pilots, United said.

The airline added that the plane, built in 2002, has six tyres on each of its two main landing gear struts.

It said it was designed to land safely with missing or damaged tyres.

The incident comes after a Delta Airlines Boeing 747 lost a front tyre while taxiing towards a take-off runway.

Bound for Bogota, Colombia from Atlanta, Georgia, the plane had to be tugged off the runway.

Delta said in a statement at the time: “Delta Flight 982 ATL/BOG was taxiing for departure when a nose wheel tire came loose from the gear.”

The Boeing 757 that lost a tyre was 32 years old; the company stopped making the plane 20 years ago.

In early January, a door on a Boeing 737 with Alaska Airlines came off mid-flight.

Passengers were left terrified as the plane flew with a hole in its side.

The Federal Aviation Administration later grounded certain Boeing 737s with all airlines until proper inspections were completed.

A fence also appeared to have been damaged when the tyre fell from the sky