Passengers flee as American plane catches fire
Passengers were forced to evacuate via an emergency slide after the landing gear of an American Airlines jet caught fire at Denver International.
One traveler was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet was in the process of taking off for Miami when ‘something blew under the plane’ one passenger said.
It caused a loud bang, Mark Tsurkis told NBC News.
One of the wheels came off on the runway.
As the the aircraft came to a halt, the landing gear ignited and quickly tuned into a large fire.
The inflatable emergency slides were then deployed.
Video of the evacuation brought online criticism as some passengers had grabbed their belongings.
“Remember, during emergency evacuations, it’s important for passengers to follow crew instructions,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X.
“Leave your luggage behind.”
American Airlines said the jet experienced ‘a maintenance issue’ with an aircraft tire.
“We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience,” the airline said.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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