Passengers aboard
an American
Airlines flight at Denver International Airport had a frightening
experience Saturday afternoon when a mechanical issue forced an emergency
evacuation before the plane even left the ground.
Flight 3023, bound
for Miami,
was headed down the runway, preparing for takeoff, when something went wrong. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the plane’s crew reported
a "possible landing gear incident during departure" around 2:45 p.m.
local time.
“During the
speed-up, when the plane almost took off, we heard a loud boom, and I said,
‘That’s not good,’” recalled Mark Tsurkis, a passenger who splits his time
between Miami and Colorado Springs. “It was definitely an unpleasant moment,
but we were lucky that we didn’t get up in the air yet, so we weren't airborne
just yet, but I would imagine that it happened five to 10 seconds before we
were airborne."
Tsurkis captured
video of the evacuation, which he posted to Instagram, showing passengers
sliding down emergency chutes as smoke and flames emanated from the aircraft’s
rear section. He told a local CBS
News affiliate that the pilots hit the brakes immediately after hearing the
loud sound, and within a minute, smoke began rising, prompting an evacuation.
In a statement,
American Airlines said the aircraft “experienced a maintenance issue prior to
takeoff” regarding one of its tires. The plane has since been removed from
service for a full inspection. The fire, which broke out during the incident,
was extinguished by the Denver Fire Department shortly afterward.
All 173 passengers
and six crew members made it off the aircraft safely. While five people were
evaluated on-site for minor concerns, only one person was taken to the hospital
for treatment, both the airline and airport reported. Passengers were
transported back to the terminal by bus and rebooked on a different aircraft
later that evening to continue their journey to Miami.
More than just one
flight was disrupted on Saturday. According to tracking site FlightAware, at
least 306 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport on Saturday, and
a temporary ground stop was issued from 2:00 p.m. to just after 3:00 p.m. for
incoming flights still at their airports of origin. Normal operations resumed
later in the day.
This marks the
second incident involving an American Airlines aircraft at Denver International
Airport this year. In March, another flight had to divert to the airport after
encountering an “engine-related issue.”
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