What was supposed to be a routine flight from Denver to Miami turned chaotic Saturday afternoon when American Airlines Flight 3023 aborted takeoff due to a reported landing gear issue. Just as the Boeing 737 Max 8 neared takeoff speed—clocking in at nearly 150 mph—passengers heard a loud boom. Seconds later, the plane slowed to a stop on the runway.
Smoke and flames were seen near the rear of the aircraft. Air traffic control warned the pilot, “You got a lot of smoke,” followed by reports of visible fire. Within moments, all 173 passengers and six crew members evacuated the plane via emergency slides. Video captured the dramatic scene as emergency crews rushed in and extinguished the fire.
Passenger Mark Tsurkis described the panic after hearing the loud noise and spotting smoke. “Somebody said, ‘Smoke, fire.’ And then a lot of people started panicking,” he told reporters.
One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries; five others were evaluated at the scene. American Airlines confirmed a tire-related maintenance issue and said the aircraft is now out of service. A replacement flight took passengers to Miami later that evening.
Despite the frightening moment, all passengers are safe—thanks to a quick response by the crew and Denver emergency teams.
