Watch: Fire on runway during takeoff from Denver airport
What's the story
An American Airlines flight was forced to abort its takeoff at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a landing gear malfunction. The incident, which involved fire and smoke on the runway, led to an emergency evacuation of all 173 passengers aboard. One person suffered minor injuries in the incident. The flight, AA-3023, was operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and was headed for Miami.
Twitter Post
Watch footage of evacuation
JUST IN: American Airlines plane at Denver International Airport is evacuated on the tarmac.
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) July 27, 2025
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Emergency response
FAA to investigate landing gear malfunction
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported a possible landing gear malfunction while the aircraft was departing from Denver airport around 2:45pm local time. Passengers were evacuated from the plane on the runway itself and taken to the terminal by bus. The FAA has said it will investigate further into this fire incident.
Incident aftermath
Denver airport confirmed the fire was extinguished
Denver Airport confirmed that the incident took place on the runway and first responders were immediately notified. "Five people were evaluated on scene and not transported. One person was evaluated at a gate and was transported," they said. The Denver Fire Department announced around 5:10pm that the fire had been extinguished.
Airline statement
Another similar incident in March
American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft "experienced a maintenance issue" with a tire on the landing gear. The airline said, "All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team." This incident is not an isolated case, as another fire incident involving an American Airlines plane occurred at Denver airport in March.