American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 Catches Fire During Takeoff All 179 Onboard Evacuate Safely
A potential tragedy was narrowly avoided on Saturday afternoon after an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 caught fire during takeoff at Denver International Airport, prompting an emergency evacuation of all 179 people on board. According to local NBC affiliate 9News, air traffic controllers urgently warned the pilots of Flight 3023: “You got a lot of smoke. You are actually on fire.” The aircraft, carrying 173 passengers and six crew members, was en route to Miami International Airport when it suffered a mechanical failure involving its tires at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time. Dramatic video shared on social media showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the rear landing gear as passengers escaped via the front emergency slide. “All customers and crew deplaned safely,” said an American Airlines spokesperson in a statement to The Daily Beast. “The aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.” One passenger was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, while others were treated on-site for smoke exposure and anxiety. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience,” the spokesperson added. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident, and operations at Denver International Airport briefly halted before resuming normal activity. This latest incident adds to the growing scrutiny of the Boeing 737 MAX series, which has been under global regulatory watch following previous safety concerns. More details are expected following the FAA’s preliminary report.