Tyres catch fire and burst on landing 757

DELTA BOEING 757-251 N544US (MSN 26491)

A Delta Airlines plane travelling from Richmond International Airport (Byrd Field), VA (RIC/KRIC) to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) had to evacuate 190 passengers on the tarmac of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after its tyres caught fire and burst when the incoming flight landed on Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. 

1 passenger has been injured.

Apparently, several tyres on the left main landing gear had burst/deflated during landing on runway 09L, followed by an overheated landing gear which was contained by ARFF.

The incident occurred around 5.35 p.m. (ET) the airport 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 organised and professional with no panic,” Campbell told 11Alive. “There are probably 100 ground safety personnel here and 20 vehicles, so the response was amazing.”

“Initial reports indicate that one of the aircraft’s tyres blew upon landing and components of the landing gear were extremely hot. Customers evacuated via emergency slides and were moved to the terminal via bus.

“We apologise to each and every customer for this experience – nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew,” a statement from Delta read.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Delta Airlines

Code: DL/DAL

Aircraft: Boeing 757-232

Registration: N676DL

Serial Number: 25981

Engines: 2 x PW PW2037

First Flew: 08/05/1992

Age: 31.2 Years