Florida: In another plane-related accident, a Boeing aircraft flying under the banner of American Airlines heading towards Phoenix, Arizona, lost one of its tyres during takeoff and caught fire at the airport in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday. The flight was delayed after taking off from Tampa after the 'mechanical issue' on the runway, an airline spokesperson told USA Today.
The plane was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members when it was about to leave Florida. Emergency responders responded to the scene just before 8 am (local time) when it came to light that one of the plane tyres had exploded and caught on fire, as it stopped at the end of the runway. However, everyone on board, including the passengers and crew, were "safely deplaned and bussed to the terminal", said airline spokesperson Alfredo Garduno.
Smoke and flame could be seen coming out of the plane, identified as a Boeing 737-900 aircraft as one of its tyres exploded during takeoff and now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is probing the incident after pilots mentioned experiencing "multiple blown tyres". The flight was manufactured by Boeing-- a firm which has been facing multiple scrutiny following severe security issues.
"American Airlines Flight 590 aborted its takeoff from Tampa International Airport around 7:50 a.m. local time on Wednesday, July 10, after the crew reported multiple blown tyres. Passengers deplaned on the taxiway and were bused to the terminal. The flight was headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The FAA will investigate. Please contact the airline for additional information," said the FAA in a statement.
There have been a series of airplane-related disasters in recent times. Earlier this week, a United Airlines jet lost a landing-gear wheel seconds after taking off from Los Angeles. According to the airline, the flight landed safely in Denver, its planned destination, with no injuries. The wheel from United Flight 1001, a Boeing 757-200, was recovered in Los Angeles.
Notably, the incident coincided on the next day when Boeing agreed to a guilty plea to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million to resolve a US Justice Department investigation into two 737 MAX fatal crashes, the government said in a court filing on Sunday. The plea deal, which requires a judge's approval, would brand the planemaker a convicted felon in connection with crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia over a five-month period in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
The airplane manufacturing giant has been battling a crisis after a panel blew off a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet during a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight, just two days before the 2021 deferred agreement that had shielded the company from prosecution over the previous fatal crashes expired. The company has come under scrutiny for failing to meet quality requirements and production standards.
ALSO READ | Boeing accepts plea deal after 346 killed in plane crashes, vows to pay $487M fines to avoid prosecution
