An American Airlines flight at Denver International Airport was evacuated on Saturday (26th July) afternoon after a landing gear issue led to fire was indicated on takeoff. The incident occurred on Flight 3023, bound for Miami.
The issue, according to the Denver Fire Department, arose when the plane was still on the runway. There were six crew members and 173 passengers aboard. All were safely evacuated, though one was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Five more were examined at the scene but did not require further attention.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the Boeing 737 MAX 8 indicated a suspected landing gear problem at around 2:45 p.m. A passenger, Mark Tsurkis, posted a video on Instagram depicting individuals sliding away from the plane as smoke and flames were visible at the back.
Tsurkis, who lives in Miami and Colorado Springs, reported he heard a huge boom as the plane was just getting ready to take off. The pilots halted the aircraft, and shortly thereafter, smoke could be seen, and evacuations ensued.
The airline reported the problem as being with one tire, and the plane is currently out of service for inspection. Passengers were taken to Miami on a replacement flight later that evening. Airport operations resumed normally shortly after a brief ground stop.
