THIS is the moment a Boeing 747 lost a wheel in a dramatic take-off as it shot off the plane in flames.
Footage shows the wheel appearing to catch fire as it launches off the aircraft before hurtling towards the runway.
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A clip of the mishap, which was snapped yesterday close to the airstrip in Taranto, Italy, shows the part fly through the air in a blaze before disappearing from the shot.
Posting the event on Twitter, they said: “Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter has one of its tyres on fire and loses its wheel after take off.”
Black smoke can be seen coming from the undercarriage of the aircraft as the wheel comes loose.
It is then seen hitting the ground and bouncing along below the plane.
The missing part was reportedly found outside the confines of the airport, some way from where it fell off.
The same Twitter user posted an image of the wheel apparently in a forest covered with leaves.
Another user saw the funny side, asking whether the plane needed the wheel after all.
Amazingly, the jet carried on its take-off without any visible effects.
Others shared their hopes that the aircraft could “land safely when the time comes”.
Thankfully the plane landed just after 7pm UK time yesterday at its destination in North Carolina.
It comes after a Russian fighter jet dramatically burst into flames moments into take-off last month.
The SU-25 jet was reportedly taking off in annexed Ukrainian territory but crashed in a fireball in seconds.
In a far more unusual incident, a passenger plane was forced to take evasive action in July after a large balloon floated into its path.
The Qatar Airways flight veered off course to avoid the obstruction but landed safely.
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