An American Airlines flight was the scene of a hair-raising setback on Wednesday morning at Florida’s Tampa International Airport after only one tire blew out while the aircraft was being prepared for takeoff. The incident occurred at about 8 a.m. local time and involved Flight 590, bound for Phoenix.
The blowout was accompanied by smoke, with the right-rear landing gear tire collapsing while the aircraft was taxiing on the runway, something that passengers and eyewitnesses watched in horror. A video of the incident later posted on YouTube, captured the moment of the blowout. The plane came to a stop at the end of the runway, where emergency vehicles quickly responded.
According to Tampa International Airport spokesman C.J. Johnson, emergency responders were sent to the scene just before 8 a.m. The mechanical problem forced the plane, with its 174 passengers and six on-board crew, out of service.
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American Airlines spokesman Alfredo Garduño said everybody aboard the plane escaped safely. Passengers were bused back to the terminal and rebooked on other flights. Miraculously, there were no reports of any injuries related to the incident.
Fortunately, this unexpected incident did not affect other flight operations at Tampa International, as per Mr. Johnson’s statement. The emergency services and airport authorities responded promptly, making sure that everything was dealt with efficiently and the hassle for other travelers was kept at a minimum.
The incident clearly highlights the need for strict pre-flight checks and the preparedness of airport emergency services in case mechanical glitches occur. American Airlines and Tampa International officials were quick to reassure passengers that customer safety at the airport is very important, as is the efficiency of such operations. Investigations are ongoing to get to the depth of the incident and understand what caused the tire blowout.