On Tuesday afternoon, October 20th, at Chicago O’Hare Airport, a passenger plane belonging to American Airlines experienced a tire burst upon landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated in a press release that the aircraft involved was American Airlines Flight 41, flying from Barcelona, Spain to Chicago, USA.
The FAA reported that around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, after a safe landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the flight crew “reported braking issues, followed by a tire blowout.”
The pilots suspect that the locking of the brakes led to the tire burst.
In a statement, the FAA confirmed that “passengers deplaned via stairs and were shuttled to the terminal building” and added that the organization “will conduct an investigation.”
Flight 41 was operated by a Boeing 787-800 aircraft, and at the time of the incident, there were 234 passengers and 11 crew members on board.
American Airlines stated that as a precaution, emergency personnel were on-site to assist the aircraft, and passengers were later transported to the terminal building by bus.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, one individual was taken to a local hospital for examination, with reports indicating that the person’s condition is stable. Sources mentioned that the individual did not sustain injuries from the tire burst incident but fell ill during the flight, prompting a hospital visit upon disembarkation.
The aircraft has been taken out of service by American Airlines for inspection by the company’s maintenance team. The airline has issued an apology to customers for the event.
Chicago O’Hare Airport has experienced several similar incidents recently. In August, at least four aircraft encountered tire bursts during taxiing or landing, with three being American Airlines planes and one being from United Airlines.