TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Passengers on an American Airlines flight out of Tampa had an unwelcome surprise when a tire exploded seconds before liftoff Wednesday, and appeared to catch fire shortly after.
Video captured the moment when at least one of the tires disintegrated, sending shredded chunks flying onto the tarmac and forcing the pilot to abort takeoff. The plane quickly came to a stop toward the end of the runway.
As the flight crew awaited the arrival of emergency crews, flames near the landing gear became visible. After several minutes, crews were seen rushing to the plane and dousing the blaze.
The flight, American Airlines flight 590 from Tampa to Phoenix, was scheduled to depart at 7:30 a.m. EDT but was canceled following the incident, flight tracking services confirmed.
In a statement, American Airlines said the plane "experienced a mechanical issue on the runway prior to taking off."
"Customers safely deplaned and were bussed to the terminal," the statement continued. "We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the flight crew reported "multiple blown tires" and that the agency will be investigating the incident.
This marks just the latest snarl for American Airlines.
On Monday, an American Eagle flight — a regional branch of American Airlines — departing New York's Syracuse Hancock International Airport had what seemed to be a close call with another flight departing around the same time. An FAA spokesperson told Nexstar's WSYR the agency was "checking" on the matter.
Last week, an American Airlines flight bound for Manchester, New Hampshire, was forced to divert to Buffalo after an Oregon man allegedly "exposed himself" and urinated in the plane aisle.
In June, a garbage truck struck the wing of an American Airlines flight as passengers were boarding at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.
