Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Owen Scott

Boeing 767’s tires blow out and melt upon landing in Atlanta terrifying passengers and causing delays

A Boeing 767 jet blew out its tires while landing at Atlanta’s main airport on Tuesday, causing emergency crews to swarm onto the tarmac.

Peruvian national airline LATAM’s flight 2482 arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 7.38 pm, 17 minutes ahead of schedule. The plane had set off from Lima seven hours and 24 minutes earlier.

According to preliminary reports from the Federal Aviation Administration, seen by Fox Atlanta, the plane blew out all of its rear landing-gear tires upon landing.

Eight of the plane’s ten tires are believed to have blown, according to NBC Atlanta, with some of them being melted.

Footage from the runway, obtained by the broadcaster, shows passengers rushing off the jet while mechanics worked on the tires.

Passengers later reported that the jet appeared to have a hard landing, which caused overhead bins to tumble open and even pulled a bathroom door off its hinges.

Barbara Williams and Brandon Hagin told Atlanta News First that their 15-year-old son had been on board the jet for his first solo flight. He had been flying home from Argentina, with a layover in Lima.

“You assume the worst, so it’s nice to hear somewhat quickly the development of things,” Hagin said. “Accidents do happen, and it’s the most important thing is how the response is, the information getting to where it needs to get to as promptly as possible.

“We got it as promptly as it was able to be delivered,” he continued. “Otherwise, we had to go fishing for it. But it's worrisome in general traveling.”

Passengers were shuttled to the airport’s international terminal after being kept on the plane for over two hours. According to the broadcaster, many were left stranded after missing connecting flights due to the incident.

Reports reviewed by Fox Atlanta indicated that no injuries were sustained in the incident.

The cause of the 221-passenger jet's tire damage remains unknown. However, LATAM Airlines issued a statement attributing the incident to an unspecified technical error.

The LATAM jet was a Boeing 767 and was landing after trip from Peru, which had lasted for over seven hours (Getty Images)

“LATAM Airlines Peru informs that, during the arrival of flight LA2482 today, which was operating the Lima–Atlanta (United States) route, a technical incident occurred that is currently under investigation and has resulted in the aircraft remaining on the runway," the statement read.

Delta Air Lines has also issued a statement, obtained by 11Alive, because the company has a codeshare agreement with LATAM Airlines.

“It’s an aircraft operated by LATAM with their aircraft, crew, etc,” the statement read. “Delta has a commercial partnership with this airline company, but this is not a Delta flight.”

The Independent has contacted the FAA and LATAM Airlines for comment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.