A United Airlines Airbus A321neo (N14502) was involved in an incident at Orlando International Airport on the 18th of January. The aircraft inbound from Chicago O’Hare experienced a hard landing while landing in stormy weather, and lost a nose wheel tyre.
A video has emerged showing the aircraft touch down heavily onto runway 36L, before bouncing, and the front gear taking impact with most of the aircraft's weight. A wheel is then seen rolling off of the runway to the right hand side of the video.
The aircraft came to a complete stop on the runway, suspending operations for a short while. A Sun Country B737 was lining up for a runway 36L departure, but was indicated by air traffic control to turn around for a safe departure on another runway. Passengers were disembarked and taken to the terminal building by bus.
United Airlines safety record
United Airlines is one of the world’s largest carriers and maintains a strong overall safety record, meeting all major international safety and audit standards and holding a 7/7 safety rating from AirlineRatings.com. Despite this, the airline has experienced several well-publicised operational incidents in recent years, which have highlighted lapses in procedures and, in some cases, training.
Recent examples include runway excursions and mechanical issues such as a Boeing 737-MAX skidding off the taxiway in March 2024, a Boeing 777 losing a wheel shortly after departure in 2024, and reports of bird strikes, engine shutdowns, smoke in the cabin, and precautionary diversions in 2024–2025. There have also been engine related emergencies such as that of a Boeing 777-200 in December 2025 and navigation unit failure on a Boeing 787 in January 2025 which led to sudden altitude changes and 16 injuries.
Importantly, none of these have resulted in fatalities in recent decades, and regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration have found no “significant safety issues” following reviews and audits. United’s continuous training and robust safety management systems mean such incidents are treated as part of routine operational risk, with crews trained to ensure safe outcomes.
Read more on United Airlines’ safety record here: Is United Airlines Safe?
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