A serious accident was avoided at Denver International Airport when an American Airlines plane had to stop takeoff because one of its landing wheels caught fire. The flight was going to Miami, but the fire forced the pilot to stop the plane on the runway before it could leave the ground.
There were 173 people on the plane, including passengers and crew. The plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, and the flight number was AA-3023. The plane was getting ready to take off around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday when the fire started. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later said the fire was likely caused by a problem with the landing gear.
Video clips from the scene showed smoke and flames coming from under the plane. People could be seen sliding down emergency chutes and running away. The situation looked scary, but emergency teams reached the spot very fast. Firefighters and airport rescue staff worked together to stop the fire. They put it out by 5:10 p.m..
All passengers were taken off the plane safely. After the fire was under control, passengers were moved to the airport terminal using shuttle buses. One person had a minor injury, and five others were checked by medical workers. One of them needed extra help and was taken to a hospital.
American Airlines said the fire was caused by a problem with a tire. The plane was removed from service for a full check. The airline said all passengers and staff were safe.
This is the second time in five months that a Boeing 737 caught fire at the same airport. In March, another plane heading to Dallas also caught fire while on the ground. Because of these events, people are now asking more questions about plane safety and maintenance.
The FAA has started an investigation to find out the full reason for the fire and to make sure similar problems don’t happen again.