A DHL cargo plane caught fire during an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday night. The aircraft, which originated from Phoenix, Arizona, touched down around 11 p.m. with sparks emanating from its wheels, followed by fire and smoke.
A video captured the Boeing 737's landing, showing flashes and pops around the tires shortly after they made contact with the runway. In air traffic control recordings, the pilot reported an issue, stating, "I don’t know if we blew a tire, but it feels like the brakes locked up."
Firefighting crews responded promptly to the aircraft, focusing on the left rear landing gear area. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson informed the LA Times that 13 units were deployed after receiving a report from air traffic control about a potential problem with one of the aircraft's engines. However, a representative for DHL clarified that the flight was operated by Kalitta Charters II on behalf of DHL and that the incident stemmed from a brake system issue that led to overheating.
Runway 25 at LAX was temporarily closed as a result of the incident. Despite the dramatic nature of the landing, no injuries were reported among the crew members, and all safely exited the aircraft. Further details regarding the extent of the damage and the full cause of the brake system failure are still under investigation.