An American Airlines flight from Barcelona blew two tyres on landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a large emergency response. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, carrying 234 passengers and 11 crew members, touched down safely at around 2.30pm after brake problems caused the tyre failure, a Chicago Fire Department spokesperson confirmed.
Emergency Response and Passenger Safety
Emergency vehicles surrounded the plane at approximately 4pm, according to ABC. Video footage from the scene showed passengers disembarking via a staircase. The airline confirmed that nobody was hurt as a result of the incident.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the tyre problem, adding that the aircraft has been withdrawn from service and will undergo inspection.
Airline Statement and Aircraft Inspection
The statement read: "American Airlines flight 41 experienced a tyre issue after landing safely at Chicago (ORD). Per procedure, first responders met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution and customers were transported safely to the terminal by bus.
"The aircraft has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We thank our team members for their professionalism and we apologise to our customers for their experience."
Recent Similar Incidents at O'Hare
Tuesday's incident is not the first of its kind in recent months at O'Hare Airport, as multiple aircraft tyres burst on the runway back in August. On 19 August, an American Airlines flight suffered a blown tyre while taxiing after landing, and hours later a United Airlines flight also experienced a tyre blowout following touchdown. Another American Airlines flight encountered the same problem on 21 August, and passengers aboard an American Airlines service were also compelled to disembark before take-off after tyres burst on 26 August.
