An American Airlines flight was forced to abort takeoff at the Denver airport on Saturday after a landing gear malfunction led to fire and smoke on the runway.
An emergency evacuation followed, and all 173 passengers were safely taken out.
One person suffered a minor injury, authorities said.
AA-3023, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, was bound for Miami when the incident occurred. It suffered a maintenance issue with the tire, the airline later said.
Dramatic rescue footage showed the panic-stricken passengers sliding down from the plane while the landing gear was seen on fire. Smoke filled the entire area as the passengers came out one by one.
The aircraft reported a possible landing gear incident while departing from the Denver airport around 2:45 pm (local time), said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), adding that the passengers were evacuated on the runway and transported to the terminal by bus.
The FAA said it would further probe the fire incident.
Denver Airport, in a separate statement, said the incident occurred when the plane was already on the runway; the airport’s First Responders and Denver Fire Department were alerted, and the passengers were evacuated. “Five people were evaluated on scene and not transported. One person was evaluated at a gate and was transported,” they added.
The Denver Fire Department announced around 5:10 pm that the fire had been extinguished.
The aircraft “experienced a maintenance issue” with a tire on the landing gear, said American Airlines in a statement, adding, “All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.”
Meanwhile, one of the passengers evacuated from the plane is facing criticism for prioritising his luggage over his child during such a potentially life-threatening situation. He was seen in the video sliding down the aircraft, holding his child in one hand, apparently by his neck, and luggage in the other. He appeared to fall over his child, failing to balance himself after stepping out of the slide.
This is the second time in five months that Denver reported a fire incident involving a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. In March, a Dallas-bound American Airlines plane caught fire at the Denver airport.
- Agencies
