Colorado, USA – More than 150 passengers were evacuated from an American Airlines flight about to take off from Denver International Airport on Saturday after a “possible landing gear incident” left one person injured and a fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to American Airlines and Denver International Airport, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft experienced a “maintenance issue” related to a tire before takeoff. Airport emergency crews and the Denver Fire Department responded to the issue, and passengers were evacuated from the runway.
This evacuation is the latest in a series of alarming aviation incidents at Denver International Airport, the world’s sixth busiest. In March, dozens of passengers were forced to stand on the wing of a United Airlines plane during an evacuation after one of its engines caught fire. A month later, a United Airlines plane struck an animal during takeoff, sparking a fire.
According to eyewitnesses, passengers on a flight bound for Miami International Airport, carrying 173 passengers and six crew members, panicked when they heard a loud bang and saw flames before being evacuated using a slide installed on the plane.
American Airlines reported that a tire explosion and the plane’s slowing down during braking caused a brake fire, which was extinguished by the Denver Fire Department.
The company added: “All passengers and crew members disembarked safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection by our maintenance team. We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for this experience.”
According to the airport and airline, five people were evaluated at the scene, and another person at the gate was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Shock and astonishment among passengers
Shay Armstead, a 17-year-old passenger bound for Santiago, Chile, said Saturday’s ordeal was “kind of traumatic.”
Armstead added that as the plane landed on the runway, passengers heard a loud bang and thought a tire had exploded.
“The plane started shaking violently,” she told CNN. “We started banked to the left side of the runway, and then we heard the wind lift the brakes and hit the plane hard.”
“One of the passengers was screaming, ‘We’re all going to die,'” Armstead added.
Armstead’s teammate, 16-year-old Margaret Gustafson, said she was just a few seats away, had a clear view out the window and saw the maintenance problem.
Gustafson added that she realized something was wrong when she saw flames coming from under the plane, “that’s when I started to panic.”
Armstead noted that passengers lined up at the rear of the plane, where they slid down the slide attached to the plane, and noted that the entire evacuation process took about 10 to 15 minutes.
