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SHOCKING footage has been released of the moment a Boeing 777 was forced to land after a major hydraulic fluid leak.
The latest in a series of worrying safety breaches from the plane manufacturer saw the United Airlines flight quickly losing hydraulic pressure after getting airborne.
Footage captured the moment its landing gear popped open just after take off[/caption] Smoke was also seen billowing out one of its right tyres[/caption]The video shows how the landing gear pops open just as the plane from Sydney to San Francisco reaches lift off.
Although smoke and fluid began pouring out, it later emerged that the crew didn’t receive any warnings for almost two hours.
Flight UA830 continued to soar to 30,000ft and had started to make its journey across the Pacific before they were told of the maintenance issue.
The plane circled back and landed into Sydney Airport soon after, where it was met with fire crews and police.
Upon landing, both gear compartment doors were wide open and smoke was spewing out of one of the tyres on the right-side of the plane.
Although some reports suggest that the plane took off with “fuel shooting out of it”, the airline has since clarified that the plane was losing fluid from its right-hand landing gear.
In a statement, United Airlines said: “On Monday, March 11, United flight 830 from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport to San Francisco International Airport returned to Sydney due to a maintenance issue.
“The plane landed safely and passengers deplaned normally at the gate.
“We are providing accommodation overnight for passengers and rebooking them to San Francisco tomorrow.”
In a separate incident just hours prior, a Boeing 787 from Sydney to Auckland is reported to have suffered an event that jolted passengers.
One passenger is reported to have flown headfirst into the ceiling, and 50 passengers are thought to have been injured.
Both incidents are now under investigation.
It comes just days after a criminal investigation was launched into Boeing because of a door that blew out on an Alaskan Airlines flight.
In the freak accident, a fuselage panel ripped off at 16,000ft and forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have since conducted an audit of the company that included interviews with employees and a visit to its production line.
The FAA has since revealed that it had identified “non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control”.
In a separate report released last month, FAA also said that they had found serious problems with Boeing’s safety culture, including fears of retaliation among employees with safety concerns.
Meanwhile, wheels have been lost from Boeing planes on two separate occasions this year alone.
Shocking footage from an incident on March 7 shows how cars were damaged after the tyre dropped from the sky at an airport in San Francisco.
And a Boeing 747 lost its front tyre whilst taxing towards the runway for takeoff in January – just after the Alaskan Airlines blow out.
Other issues with Boeing planes that have arisen so far this year include cracked windows, possible oxygen leaks, and engine failures.
In a message to employees, Boeing CEO Stan Deal addressed recent assessments of Boeing’s airplanes.
He said: “As we conduct quality stand downs across our company, your improvement ideas have been invaluable.
“We have used your feedback, and those from our regulator and customers, to take immediate actions to strengthen our safety and quality.
“These actions are central to a comprehensive plan we will soon deliver to the FAA.”
According to Deal, employees are to precisely follow each step of manufacturing procedures and processes, and they are also to always be on the lookout for safety concerns.
Sky high chaos: a timeline of Boeing incidents
BOEING has found itself at the centre of increasingly concerning reports in recent months thanks to malfunctions on its planes. Here is a timeline of the biggest incidents surrounding the American aircraft maker.
March 2024 – Boeing 777 forced to land after hydraulic fluid leak
March 2024 – Plane engine catches fire on a Boeing 737
March 2024 – Boeing 787 LATAM LA800 “sudden nose-dive”
March 2024 – Wheel falls off Boeing 777 United Airlines plane
January 2024 – Boeing Alaska Airlines ripped window
January 2024 – Boeing 747 Delta Airlines plane loses front tyre
March 2019 – Boeing 737 MAX 8 Ethiopia Airlines fatal crash
October 2018 – Boeing 737 MAX 8 Indonesia Lion Air fatal crash