American Airlines Flight Evacuated After Takeoff Fire in Denver

DENVER, Colorado — An American Airlines flight was evacuated Saturday at Denver International Airport due to a mechanical failure during takeoff.

American Airlines Flight 3023 was departing for Miami around 2:45 p.m. local time when the aircraft experienced a landing gear failure, causing flames and smoke to billow from the plane’s rear left side.

An air traffic controller warned the pilot over the radio, saying, “Flight 2023, you got a lot of smoke,” before adding moments later, “You are actually on fire.” Video footage from passengers captured the chaotic scene as they slid down inflatable emergency slides to escape the aircraft.

The Denver Fire Department responded quickly and extinguished the flames. American Airlines confirmed that the incident was linked to a tire issue on the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

All 173 passengers and six crew members evacuated safely, according to the airline. Six people were evaluated for minor injuries, and one individual was taken to a local hospital after deplaning.

“All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”

Passengers were set to continue their journey to Miami on another aircraft later that day.