Passenger Plane in America caught fire just before take-off, in that time 173 with 6 crew members was present in the Boeing 737. The incident has took place on Saturday afternoon.
An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 was forced to abort takeoff at Denver International Airport on Saturday after a landing gear issue caused a fire and heavy smoke. The plane, Flight 3023, was headed to Miami with 173 passengers and six crew members.
The Denver Fire Department confirmed that it responded to the incident and successfully extinguished the fire. According to Fox News, all 173 passengers and six crew members aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8 were safely evacuated. Five individuals were assessed for injuries at the scene but did not need hospital treatment. However, one person was taken to a medical facility with a minor injury.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft reported a possible landing gear failure during departure. The plane was stopped on the runway, and all passengers were evacuated using emergency slides.
Live air traffic control audio revealed the urgency, with a controller warning, “You’ve got a lot of smoke… you are actually on fire.” Video from the scene showed passengers quickly sliding down as thick smoke rose from the aircraft’s rear side.
The Denver Fire Department responded immediately and confirmed the fire was extinguished by 5:10 PM local time.
American Airlines said the issue involved a tire during the takeoff roll. “All customers and crew deplaned safely,” the airline said. “We thank our team and apologize to customers for the experience.” A replacement flight was arranged to take the passengers to Miami later in the day.
Emergency medical staff evaluated six people—five at the runway and one at the gate, who was taken to the hospital with a minor injury.
The FAA is investigating the incident, and the plane has been removed from service for inspection.
The airline confirmed that the aircraft experienced a maintenance issue involving a tire, and affected passengers were rebooked on a replacement flight to Miami later the same day.
Passenger Caitlin Burdi, who was on board, described a terrifying experience. She said the plane took a brief drop followed by a more sudden plunge, causing panic among passengers.
“We really thought we were plummeting into a plane crash,” Burdi told Fox News Digital during an interview at the Las Vegas airport. She added that the pilot informed them they had nearly collided with another aircraft.
