Delta plane’s tires catch fire and burst, 1 injured, 190 passengers evacuated in Atlanta

A Delta Airlines plane had to evacuate 190 passengers on the tarmac of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after its tires caught fire and burst while landing on Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. 1 passenger has been injured.

A Delta plane departs from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York, US, on Friday, June 2, 2023. Delta Air Lines Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on July 13. Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

The incident occurred around 6 p.m.(ET)when Delta Flight 1437 from Boston experienced a blowout in its left main gear tires as it touched down in Atlanta, the FAA said in a statement.

A passenger on the Boeing 757 sent a photo and a video to 11Alive, a local news station, showing people sliding down the emergency chute of the plane to escape the flames.

Bruce Campbell, who was on board the flight, praised the Delta crew and the airport first responders for their professionalism and quick response.

“The Delta team was extremely organized and professional with no panic,” Campbell told 11Alive. “There are probably 100 ground safety personnel here and 20 vehicles, so the response was amazing.”

Delta Air Lines issued a statement apologizing to the customers for the experience and thanking the flight crew and the airport staff for their efforts.

“We appreciate the efforts of our flight crew and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport first responders to manage through the safe landing of flight 1437 at our hub this afternoon. Initial reports indicate that one of the aircraft’s tires blew upon landing and components of the landing gear were hot. Customers evacuated via emergency slides and are being moved to the terminal via bus. We apologize to each for this experience – nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew,” the statement read.

According to FOX 5 in Atlanta, one person was injured in the incident, but their condition was not disclosed.

The FAA said it will investigate the cause of the tire fire and burst.

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This was not the only Delta flight that faced trouble this week.

On Sunday evening, a Delta flight bound for Newark, N.J., from Boston had to turn back after authorities received an anonymous tip of a passenger making threats to the flight’s safety.

The passenger and his belongings were removed from the plane, and the flight was cleared to resume its journey to Newark, N.J., after officials checked it, according to official statements.

The flight tracker showed that the flight took off again on Sunday night.

Passengers on the flight expressed a mix of relief and anxiety as they finally continued their trip.