Passengers and crew of an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 survived a terrifying moment. On Saturday afternoon, just before takeoff from Denver airport, the aircraft had to be evacuated after a fire broke out near the landing gear.
Emergency evacuation of passengers what happened?
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, American Airlines flight 3023 was due to take off from Denver to Miami. While accelerating on the runway, the rear left landing gear failed. Fire and thick smoke erupted from the tire, which was noticed by both passengers and ground staff.
Quick response from crew and emergency services
The crew immediately aborted the takeoff roll and launched the evacuation procedure.
- Emergency slides were deployed.
- 173 passengers and 6 crew members left the aircraft.
- The fire department extinguished the fire within a few minutes.
- Most people got out unharmed – only one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
What the evacuation looked like according to passengers?
Some described moments of panic – some people grabbed their luggage, while others ran onto the airport apron, fleeing the flames. Videos appeared online showing travelers sliding down emergency chutes and running away from the billowing smoke.
Causes and consequences – what do we know?
The fire was caused by a technical defect in the rear landing gear tire. The aircraft had not yet lifted off the ground, which most likely saved the lives of everyone on board. After the situation was brought under control, the airport had to briefly halt traffic, and almost 90 other flights were delayed.
