The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after a commercial flight bound for Hawaii safely aborted takeoff Friday due to an “unstable” nose wheel.
The crew of Hawaiian Airlines Flight 33 “safely aborted takeoff” from Los Angeles International Airport at about 8 a.m., according to a statement from the FAA.
Footage of the incident showed smoke near the bottom of the plane as it braked on the runway before turning around.
Before takeoff, HA33 experienced a “vibration” in the nose wheel, a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson told FOX Business.
As a precaution, the pilots returned to the gate, where the Airbus A330, bound for Kahului Airport in Hawaii, arrived without incident.
“Guests were deplaned as mechanics assessed and later resolved the issue,” according to the airline spokesperson.
The aircraft departed LAX at 11:48 a.m. local time and was en route to Kahului Airport, as of 5:50 p.m. ET.
“The safety of our employees and guests is our priority, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience,” according to a statement from Hawaiian Airlines, which was acquired by Alaska Airlines last year.
FAA officials will investigate.
Among a number of incidents on commercial aircraft this year, a passenger on an American Airlines flight that caught fire in March filed a lawsuit against the airline.
Jerry Adamson, who was aboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft that caught fire March 13, sued the airline in Denver District Court for negligence and misconduct, according to court documents.
The plane was headed toward Dallas Fort Worth International Airport before being diverted 20 minutes into the flight to Denver International Airport.
Attorneys allege the airline and its staff failed to use “reasonable care” in the maintenance and operation of the aircraft and argued the flight crew knew about the engine problems and “chose to taxi with an improperly functioning engine rather than request airport assistance,” FOX Business previously reported.
The lawsuit claims the flight crew told Denver air traffic controllers it would not declare an emergency and rejected assistance when it arrived, leading to the right engine catching fire eight minutes after landing.
Adamson and other passengers allegedly “inhaled copious amounts of smoke and fire retardant” while evacuating the plane and were taken to a hospital for treatment, according to court documents.
FOX Business’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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