Passengers flee smoking plane on emergency slide at Denver airport
American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a 'possible landing gear incident' during its departure from Denver on Sunday (AEST), the Federal Aviation Administration said. The problem involved an aircraft tyre, the airline said in a later statement.
The Boeing 737 MAX-8 carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, the airline said.
Media footage showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway.
Passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus.
Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene.
'After hearing a loud boom the plane started to violently shake, and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,' Armistead told the Associated Press.
Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened.
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