American Airlines plane blows 2 tires at Chicago O’Hare airport before takeoff, FAA says
By Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN
(CNN) — An American Airlines plane blew two tires while taxiing for departure at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration – the fourth tire mishap in a month at the airport.
Passengers used stairs to deplane and were taken by bus to the terminal, the FAA said in a statement.
The agency is investigating the incident.
“Shortly after pushing back from the gate at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), American Airlines flight 3280 experienced a tire issue on the taxiway,” the airline said in a statement. “Customers safely returned to the terminal and will re-depart shortly on a replacement aircraft.”
The Chicago Department of Aviation told CNN in a statement it was aware of the incident and working closely with American Airlines.
The affected airplane is a Boeing 737-800 and was bound for Charlotte, North Carolina.
Crew trucks and vans surrounded the aircraft on the tarmac, video captured by CNN affiliate WBBM showed.
Air traffic control audio revealed the plane behind the damaged aircraft noticed the blown tire pieces on the tarmac.
“I can see two blown right tires on your main gear and you guys are going to deplane out here, is that correct?” air traffic control asks the pilot, which he affirms, according to the audio from atc.com.
This incident is the latest in a series of tire issues at Chicago airports during the busy summer travel season.
Last Monday, two planes suffered tire damage after landing at O’Hare just hours apart. An American Airlines plane blew two tires after landing around 2 p.m., the FAA said; hours later, the tires on a United Airlines plane were damaged on landing, CNN affiliate WLS reported.
Three days earlier, a United flight had to abort takeoff after suffering tire damage at the same airport, the airline said.
Chicago Midway International Airport had a tire-related incident earlier this month when a Southwest Airlines flight lost nose-gear tire pressure while landing, according to the airline.
No injuries have been reported in any of the incidents.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Taylor Galgano contributed to this report.
