American Airlines plane urgently evacuated in Denver

Passengers on an American Airlines flight were evacuated due to a brake and landing gear failure shortly before takeoff on Saturday in the United States, the airline announced today.

American Airlines Flight 3023, which was flying from Denver to Miami, "experienced a mechanical problem," the US airline said.

All 173 passengers and six crew members “disembarked safely,” it added.

American Airlines said a passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Burst tires and the aircraft's deceleration during braking caused an isolated fire in the brakes, which was extinguished by the Denver fire department, the capital of the western state of Colorado, according to the airline.

In videos shared on social media, passengers can be seen exiting the plane via a slide while smoke comes out of the back.

This is becoming routine for airline travel. This is American Airlines in Denver.

Rear wheels blew. pic.twitter.com/NJ7akXtNB9

— Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) July 26, 2025

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the crew of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 "reported a possible landing gear incident during takeoff" around 2:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m. in Lisbon). The FAA added that it was investigating the incident.

This incident comes two days after a Southwest Airlines plane, en route to Las Vegas, made a steep descent to avoid a collision with another aircraft, injuring two flight attendants and frightening passengers.

In January, a mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter killed 67 people on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.