Denver, CO – July 26, 2025 — A tense situation unfolded at Denver International Airport on Saturday morning when passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 3023 were forced to evacuate using emergency slides following a mechanical issue during the plane’s takeoff roll.
The Boeing 737 Max 8, bound for Miami, was accelerating down the runway when a tire reportedly blew out. According to American Airlines, the incident triggered a rapid deceleration that led to a “minor isolated brake fire,” which was promptly extinguished by the Denver Fire Department.
Video footage posted on social media shows passengers sliding down the aircraft’s emergency exits and fleeing the runway. Emergency responders were quick to the scene, and all 173 passengers and six crew members were safely evacuated. One passenger was transported to the hospital for evaluation of a minor injury, the airline confirmed.
“All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”
Passengers were later rebooked on a replacement aircraft to complete their journey to Miami.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the tire failure and assess the aircraft’s braking system.
Experts have raised concerns over passenger behavior during the evacuation. Video shows several individuals grabbing carry-on bags before sliding down the emergency exits — a dangerous practice that aviation safety professionals warn against.
“During an evacuation, seconds matter,” said Anthony Brickhouse, director of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Forensic Lab. “The time you take to grab something from the overhead compartment could cost lives. It creates clutter and could damage the evacuation slide, making it inoperable.”
No further delays were reported at Denver International Airport, and airport operations resumed normally after the aircraft was cleared from the runway.
This incident adds to ongoing scrutiny of safety procedures on commercial flights and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of following crew instructions during emergency evacuations.