A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating flight from Denver to Miami was evacuated on the runway due to a fire incident after aborted takeoff.
A serious incident occurred at Denver International Airport on Saturday when passengers aboard an American Airlines flight were forced to evacuate after aborted takeoff.
Video footage posted online shows passengers of Flight AA3023 to Miami jumping on emergency slides and running away from the plane as smoke and flames appeared beneath it.
The fire occurred in the left main landing gear (MLG) wheels during aborted takeoff from Denver International Airport on runway 34L after the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration N306SW) taxied for almost one hour!
The Denver Fire Department responded quickly and extinguished the fire. All 173 passengers and six crew members on the aircraft were safely evacuated.
Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization. One individual was transported to a medical facility with a minor injury, according to the report.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also released a statement confirming the incident: “American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a possible landing gear incident during departure from Denver International Airport around 2:45 p.m. local time Saturday, July 26. Passengers evacuated on the runway and are being transported to the terminal by bus.”
The airline confirmed that the issue stemmed from a maintenance problem with a tire. A replacement flight was arranged to transport the affected passengers to Miami later the same day.
