Panic on the runway: American Airlines flight evacuated after landing gear fire

Arab Times

27-07-2025

DENVER, July 27: More than 150 passengers aboard an American Airlines flight were evacuated onto the runway at Denver International Airport on Saturday after a landing gear issue caused a fire, resulting in one injury and widespread panic.
The incident occurred when a Boeing 737 MAX 8, preparing to depart for Miami International Airport with 173 passengers and six crew members, experienced a 'maintenance issue' involving an aircraft tire prior to takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), American Airlines, and Denver airport officials.
Emergency responders from the Denver Fire Department and airport personnel quickly arrived on the scene. The fire — triggered by a combination of blown tires and braking during deceleration — was extinguished by firefighters. Passengers were then evacuated using the aircraft's emergency slides.
'All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience,' American Airlines said in a statement.
Five people were assessed on-site for injuries, while one individual was transported to the hospital with a minor injury, authorities confirmed.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 1:12 p.m. local time. The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m., the FAA reported. As of Saturday evening, 240 flights departing from Denver International Airport had been delayed, according to FlightAware.
A replacement aircraft was arranged for the passengers to continue their journey to Miami later in the day. The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident.
Saturday's evacuation adds to a series of recent aviation scares at Denver International Airport, currently the world's sixth busiest. In March, passengers had to evacuate an American Airlines plane via its wings after an engine caught fire. In April, a United Airlines flight collided with an animal during takeoff, resulting in a burst of flames.
Seventeen-year-old Shay Armistead, a passenger from Minturn, Colorado, described the ordeal as 'kind of traumatizing.' Traveling with her ski club en route to Santiago, Chile, Armistead said the plane began shaking violently after a loud bang was heard—what many assumed was a tire blowout.
'We started tilting to the left side of the runway, and then we heard the sound of the wind from them lifting up the brakes of the plane and slamming on them really hard,' she told CNN.
Her 16-year-old teammate, Margaret Gustafson, witnessed flames under the aircraft from her window seat. 'That's when I started fully panicking,' she said.
Passengers reported chaotic scenes during the evacuation. Armistead recalled one person screaming, 'We're all gonna die,' while another refused to sit down and follow instructions.
Evacuation via the plane's emergency slide took approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Despite the harrowing experience, all passengers were safely off the aircraft.
Although their ski trip was delayed, Armistead and Gustafson's flight was rescheduled for the following morning.