American Airlines Flight Aborts Takeoff in Denver, Passengers Evacuate via Emergency Slides

Passengers onboard an American Airlines flight experienced terrifying moments on Saturday, July 26, when the aircraft was forced to abort takeoff at Denver International Airport due to a mechanical malfunction that sparked a fire on the runway. The incident involved Flight 3023, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 bound for Miami, which was accelerating for departure when smoke and flames were seen coming from one of its landing gear tires.

According to air traffic control recordings, the crew was alerted to visible fire by controllers who instructed them to halt immediately. “Flight 2023, you got a lot of smoke… You are actually on fire,” a controller was heard saying. The pilots aborted the takeoff promptly, and emergency protocols were activated.

The cabin crew quickly deployed the aircraft’s emergency evacuation slides, and all 173 passengers and six crew members were able to evacuate the aircraft safely. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic as thick smoke engulfed the plane while passengers slid down to safety, some carrying small bags, others visibly shaken.

Emergency response teams from the Denver Fire Department were on the scene within minutes and managed to contain and extinguish the fire. Though there were no fatalities, one passenger was hospitalized with minor injuries, while five others were treated on-site for smoke inhalation and minor physical complaints.

American Airlines released a statement confirming the incident, attributing it to a “mechanical issue involving the landing gear.” The aircraft has since been taken out of service for a full investigation. A replacement plane was arranged later in the day to transport passengers to their original destination in Miami.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an official investigation into the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire and evaluate the airline’s emergency response measures. The swift actions of the flight crew and emergency personnel have been praised for preventing what could have turned into a major disaster.

This incident adds to growing scrutiny over the reliability and maintenance of the Boeing 737 MAX series, a model that has faced intense public and regulatory attention in recent years.