More than 150 passengers on American Airlines flights at Denver International Airport were evacuated to the runway on Saturday, July 26th. This was reported by the Federal Aviation Administration after it was called a “landing gear incident” that injured one person and caused a fire.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 heading for Miami, with 173 passengers and six crew members, experienced tire-related “maintenance issues” seconds before takeoff. The paramedics and the Denver Fire Department responded, evacuating passengers via slides after loudly reporting flames. The plane’s brake fire was caused by blown tires but disappeared by firefighters and the aircraft was removed for inspection.
American Airlines apologised to its passengers and praised the crew’s professionalism. Five passengers were assessed on the scene, and one was taken to hospital for minor injuries. According to FliestAware on X, the incident occurred around 2:45pm after 1:12pm, delaying flights 240. Exchange delivery to Miami has been arranged and the FAA has launched an investigation.
Boeing plagued at Denver Airport suffers from a series of emergency evacuations
The evacuation follows other recent incidents in Denver, the world’s sixth busiest airport. In March, passengers had to evacuate a burning American Airlines plane after the engine started a fire. In April, a United Airlines plane crashed into an animal while taking off, causing its engine to explode into flames.
The 2025 Boeing incident line, including Denver Runway Evacuation, Air India Flight 171 Crash and Delta Boeing 767 Engine Fire, has stepped up scrutiny of manufacturers’ safety and quality control processes.
Passengers described the Saturday event as “traumatizing.” Some passengers experienced violent shaking, loud and loud shaking, and saw the plane still tilted while the brakes were forced to apply. Flames came from under the plane, causing panic among passengers. One passenger was reportedly yelling “We’re all dead,” while another passenger sat and resisted increasing chaos. Evacuation took 10-15 minutes via slides.
The incident followed a close call on Friday, July 25th, when a privately owned Hawker Hunter Jet crossed within two miles of the Boeing 737 at similar altitudes.
