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Passengers evacuated an American Airlines jet at Denver International Airport on an emergency slide after landing gear started a fire during a discontinued takeoff, sending black smoke into the air.
Officials say one of the 173 passengers was hospitalized with minor injuries and was scheduled to leave the Boeing 737 Max 8 and fly to Miami International Airport on Saturday.
A video shared with NBC News by passengers who wished to remain anonymous showed speeds gathering speeds on the runway. Then strong vibrations continued and the plane stopped. Meanwhile, round debris were seen lying down under the plane and from the side of the runway.
“I heard about the big boom and knew something had exploded under the plane,” passenger Mark Tulkis told NBC News. “I said, ‘That’s not good,’ and soon the captain started to speed up the plane. Then someone said, “Look!” So we look to the left side of the window and one of the plane’s wheels rolls.
When the aircraft stopped, he said it began to smell the burn. “Someone cried out, ‘Fire!” he said. “So they opened the emergency doors and we slid down those inflatable slides.”
Five people were checked by Medic on the scene and one was taken to the hospital, according to the airline. Other passengers were criticised online after the video showed them carrying cabin bags while leaving the burning aircraft.
“Remember, during an emergency evacuation, it is important for passengers to follow the instructions of their crew,” Transport Secretary Sean Duffy wrote to X.
This has become a very endemic issue as the Federal Aviation Administration conducted a study published in December. There were several recommendations, but the conclusion was clear: “Retrieving passengers of luggage slows evacuation.”
American Airlines said Flight 3023 experienced “maintenance issues” including “aircraft tires” before it took off around 2:45pm.
“We appreciate the professionalism of our team members and apologise to our customers for their experience,” the passengers added that they plan to make another flight to Miami on the same day.
The FAA said it would investigate.
Contributors were Angela Dalman, George Solis and the Associated Press.
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