Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight faced a terrifying moment on Saturday when a brake fire forced an emergency evacuation at Denver International Airport, just as the aircraft was accelerating for takeoff.
American Airlines Flight 3023, bound for Miami, encountered “a mechanical issue” shortly before lifting off, the airline said in a statement to AFP. “All 173 passengers and six crew deplaned safely,” it confirmed.
The incident left one passenger with a minor injury, who was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation, according to the airline.
The situation unfolded rapidly when the Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced what the airline described as blown tires and sudden deceleration, leading to “an isolated brake fire,” which Denver city firefighters quickly extinguished.
Videos circulating on social media and picked up by US media outlets, captured chaotic scenes of passengers fleeing the jet via emergency slides.
One clip showed a man cradling a child while sliding down, stumbling upon hitting the tarmac, as smoke could be seen rising from the aircraft.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said the flight crew “reported a possible landing gear incident during departure” around 2:45 pm local time. The agency has since launched an investigation.
This latest episode comes amid heightened concerns over aviation safety in the U.S., following a recent series of mishaps and near misses.
Just a day prior, a Southwest Airlines aircraft headed for Las Vegas abruptly dropped altitude to avoid a potential collision with another plane, leaving two flight attendants injured.
In a more tragic incident earlier this year, 67 people lost their lives when a commercial plane approaching Ronald Reagan Airport collided mid-air with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C.
In response to mounting safety concerns, the Trump administration in May revealed plans to modernize the country’s “antiquated” air traffic control system, which has been struggling with a chronic shortage of FAA tower controllers.
As part of its broader effort to reduce the federal workforce, the government has also cut hundreds of jobs at the FAA, a move that has sparked further debate over the future of air travel safety in the United States.
