Emergency Evacuation at Denver Airport

An American Airlines flight, AA-3023, was forced to abort its takeoff at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a landing gear malfunction that resulted in a fire and smoke on the runway. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, bound for Miami, experienced a maintenance issue with its tire, leading to an emergency evacuation of all 173 passengers. Fortunately, all passengers were safely evacuated, with only one person sustaining a minor injury.

Dramatic Rescue Captured on Video

Footage from the scene showed panic-stricken passengers sliding down emergency chutes as smoke filled the area. The left main wheels of the aircraft caught fire, prompting immediate action from the crew and emergency responders. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the incident occurred around 2:45 pm local time, and passengers were quickly transported to the terminal by bus after evacuation.

Response from Authorities and Airline

The Denver Fire Department and airport first responders were alerted promptly and managed to extinguish the fire by 5:10 pm. American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft experienced a maintenance issue with a tire on the landing gear. The airline assured that all customers and crew deplaned safely and that the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection by their maintenance team.

Passenger Criticized for Risky Behavior

Amidst the chaos, one passenger faced criticism for prioritizing his luggage over his child during the evacuation. Video footage showed him holding his child by the neck while carrying luggage in his other hand as he exited the aircraft via the slide. This incident has sparked discussions about passenger behavior during emergencies.

Previous Incident at Denver Airport

This is not the first time such an incident has occurred at Denver Airport. In March, another American Airlines flight experienced a fire involving a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The FAA has announced it will further investigate this latest incident to prevent future occurrences.