At Denver International Airport, passengers evacuated an aircraft via an emergency slide due to a suspected issue with the plane’s landing gear, officials reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated that American Airlines Flight 3023 encountered a “possible landing gear incident” during its takeoff from Denver on Saturday afternoon. According to a statement from the airline based in Fort Worth, Texas, a problem was identified with an aircraft tire.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, American said.
Footage broadcast by local news outlets depicted individuals exiting the plane using the inflatable slide, holding onto luggage and carrying small children. Several passengers, including an adult holding a young child, stumbled at the slide’s base, landing on the hard runway. Following the evacuation, buses transported the passengers to the terminal.
Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene.
After hearing a loud “boom,” the plane “started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,” Armistead told The Associated Press in an interview.
Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened.
“I started grabbing my friend’s hands, I was like ‘Oh my God,’ and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,” she said. “It was just terrifying.”
One of the passengers was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines said in its statement. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, airport officials said.
“About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,” passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. “The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.”
Firefighters extinguished a fire on the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said.
“All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,” American said.
In a statement, the FAA said it’s investigating.
Armistead said she’s thankful for everyone who helped her and the other passengers, and grateful that she’s safe.
“You’ve just got to appreciate what you’re given, and I’m so grateful that it wasn’t worse,” Armistead said. ___ This story corrects the spelling of a passenger’s name. She is Shay Armistead, not Armisteaz.
