US authorities are investigating a 26 July incident involving an American Airlines Boeing 737 Max that caught fire at Denver following a landing-gear problem, prompting passengers and crew to evacuate.
Video posted on social media appears to show the jet resting on its left-side CFM International Leap-1B turbofan. Video also shows passengers evacuating the jet via right-side forward and aft evacuation slides, and evacuating through mid-cabin emergency doors onto its wing.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirms it is investigating the incident, which involving American flight 3023 from Denver to Miami. The problem happened as the jet was accelerating for take-off.
“American Airlines flight 3023 reported a possible landing-gear incident during departure from Denver International Airport around [14:45] local time,” says the FAA.
The US National Transportation Safety Board says it is aware of the event but has “nothing to release at this time”. Boeing declines to comment and defers to American.
The airline says the aircraft “experienced a mechanical issue on take-off roll at Denver International airport…the mechanical issued involved an aircraft tire and flames”.
“One customer was transported to the hospital with a minor injury for further evaluation,” American says. “The aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.”
One passenger told NewsNation that roughly 30sec after starting the take-off roll there was a “loud boom” from under the aircraft. The pilots aborted the take-off and, as the jet slowed, passengers saw one of its tires rolling away from the aircraft, that passenger said.
After leaving the gate at Denver, the 737 Max taxied for roughly 1.5h across the sprawling Denver International airport. The pilots first taxied to the threshold of runway 8, then to runway 17L and finally to runway 34L, from where they began the take-off roll, according to data from FlightRadar24.
The jet, registration N306SW, had been delivered by Boeing to American in July 2021, according to fleet data provider Cirium.
The Denver incident comes several months after an American 737-800 suffered engine trouble and a fire at the same airport. That event also prompted passengers and crew to evacuate.
