A passenger aboard a flight from Denver to Miami describes the moments when the plane’s landing gear seemingly malfunctioned right before they got into the air on Saturday.
According to the Denver Fire Department, the problem occurred on American Airlines Flight AA3023 from Denver International Airport to Miami International Airport while the plane was still on the runway, CBS News Colorado reported. Officials said all 173 passengers and six crew members on board were safely taken off the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
“American Airlines flight 3023 experienced a maintenance issue prior to takeoff at Denver International Airport (DEN). 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 to CBS News. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”
Terror right before takeoff
Mark Tsurkis, who lives in Miami and Colorado Springs, told CBS News Miami he was “coming from one home to another home” when the terrifying moment happened right before they went airborne.
“During the speed-up, when the plane almost took off, we heard a loud boom, and I said ‘That’s not good,'” he said.
Tsurkis told CBS News Miami that he believes one of the wheels blew up and damaged the aircraft’s suspension “because when the plane was slowing down, we saw another wheel pass the airplane on the left side.”
American Airlines later confirmed to CBS News Colorado that the aircraft experienced a maintenance issue with a tire and was taken out of service to be inspected by their maintenance team.
“It was definitely an unpleasant moment, but we were lucky that we didn’t get up in the air yet, so we weren’t airborne just yet, but I would imagine that it happened five to 10 seconds before we were airborne,” he said.
As soon as it happened, Tsurkis said the captain began to slow down the plane and bring it to a halt. About a minute later, other passengers began to notice smoke coming up from the aircraft and evacuations began shortly after.
Tsurkis continued, telling CBS News Miami though it took a while for the crew to open up the aircraft doors, most of the passengers were able to evacuate safely off the aircraft. Five people were evaluated at the scene but were not transported for further treatment, the Denver airport confirmed to CBS News Colorado. However, one person evaluated at the gate was transported for medical attention for what is reported to be a minor injury.
Video shows passengers sliding down from the smoky plane
Video shared on Tsurkis’ Instagram page @highlymigratoryfishing showed passengers evacuating the plane, using a slide as smoke billowed from below the rear of the 737 MAX 8. Tsurkis added that there were a few passengers that tried to take their luggage with them down the slide, causing them to fall down as they evacuated.
“Some people started panicking, but you know, you got to start keeping calm in situations like this — panic never helps,” Tsurkis told CBS News Miami.
Tsurkis said that for the most part, everything turned out to be okay and that everyone was “very lucky that nothing very serious happened.”
“Few people got a few bruises and scraps from landing but other than that, everything’s okay,” he said. “I’m feeling great.”
American Airlines told CBS News Colorado that Tsurkis and the other displaced passengers will depart for Miami on a replacement aircraft. According to data from FlightAware, the plane was scheduled to take off from Denver around 1:12 p.m. local time, but Tsurkis told CBS News Miami that he probably wouldn’t land in South Florida until around 2 a.m.
