Boeing 757 lost nose wheel preparing for takeoff during a very rough stretch for the plane-maker

A Boeing 757 jet operated by Delta Air Lines lost a nose wheel while preparing for takeoff from Atlanta over the weekend, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident. Photo / AP

A Boeing 757 jet operated by Delta Air Lines lost a nose wheel while preparing for takeoff from Atlanta, in the US.

It was an older model of plane than those made by Boeing that have raised safety concerns about the aircraft-maker yet it occurred with an intense spotlight on one of the US’s top manufacturers.

Delta Flight 982 — headed to Bogota, Colombia — was taxiing for departure at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident.

“All customers and their bags were removed from the aircraft, transferred to the gate and onto a replacement aircraft,” Delta said. “We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience.”

No one was injured, a Delta spokesperson told The Associated Press — adding that the plane was retired and placed back into service the next day.

According to the the Atlanta-based airline, 172 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants were on board the flight.

A Delta Airlines Boeing 757 taking off in Tampa. Photo / AP

When contacted by The Associated Press, Boeing did not comment further. The Arlington, Virginia, aircraft-maker ended production of the 757 nearly 20 years ago.

There have been a string of mishaps involving Boeing planes over recent years — including two crashes of Max 8 planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed a total of 346 people in 2018 and 2019.

Earlier this month, a door plug blew off an Alaska Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner flying 16,000 feet (4900 metres) above Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. Since then, Alaska Airlines and United reported finding loose bolts and other problems in the panel doors of an unspecified number of other Max 9s.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was in Washington, DC, this week to meet with lawmakers about the safety of the Max 9.

Ongoing investigations from regulators and harsh criticism of Boeing inside and outside of the air travel industry preceded Calhoun’s visit to Washington.