Two passenger planes experienced tire blowouts within three hours of each other after landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Monday. No injuries were reported.
The first incident involved an American Airlines flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The Boeing 737-800 landed shortly after 2 p.m. local time, and a tire blowout was subsequently reported. Fire trucks surrounded the aircraft as a precaution. Air traffic control audio indicated the airline was asked if any assistance was needed due to a blown tire, to which the pilot responded that there were no injuries and no panic among the 180 passengers.
The runway experienced a temporary closure to clear debris from the blown tires. The American Airlines plane was taken out of service, and the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to investigate the incident. A spokesperson for American Airlines stated, "We thank our team members for their professionalism and we apologize to our customers for their experience."
Approximately three hours later, a United Airlines flight arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, also suffered a tire blowout. This Airbus A320’s main left tire blew as the aircraft was exiting the runway after landing at 5:30 p.m. local time. Passengers deplaned via airstairs, and buses transported them to the terminal.
"Customers deplaned via airstairs and buses took them back to the terminal," a United spokesperson confirmed. The airline did not suggest the incidents were related, as they occurred at different parts of the airport.
This follows a separate incident last Thursday where a United Airlines plane aborted its takeoff at O’Hare after also experiencing two blown tires.