On 26 July, the landing gear of an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration N306SW) malfunctioned during preparations for takeoff at Denver International Airport (DEN). Videos shared on social media showed flames and smoke coming from the aircraft’s undercarriage.
The crew initiated an emergency evacuation. As often seen in such situations, many passengers exited the aircraft while carrying their personal belongings. Emergency services quickly responded and extinguished the fire.
Flight AA3023, a domestic service from Denver to Miami, was carrying 173 passengers and 6 crew members. One passenger was injured during the evacuation and required hospital treatment.
In a statement to CBS News, American Airlines said: “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. We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”
Video from the evacuation of American Airlines AA3023 at Denver today. The left main wheels are on fire. https://t.co/QIHm3WLwdg pic.twitter.com/xxEUp2f7zv
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) July 26, 2025