An American Airlines flight carrying 234 passengers from Barcelona blew two tires at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, October 20, 2026, after flight crew reported a dragging brake before touchdown.
Flight AA41 Lands at O’Hare With Dragging Brakes
American Airlines Flight 41, operated with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as N806AA, was completing a transatlantic journey from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport when the crew flagged mechanical trouble. As the widebody jet approached Chicago, pilots notified air traffic control that they suspected a brake issue.
We’ve got a right brake that might be dragging,
a pilot told controllers in an audio transmission captured by ATC.com, asking for emergency equipment to trail the aircraft toward the gate.
The flight touched down safely at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. But the friction took an immediate toll on the landing gear. Pilots suspected the brakes locked up upon touchdown, blowing two tires on the port side and leaving the twin-aisle aircraft immobilized near the end of the runway.
Passenger Accounts of a Loud Impact and Tarmac Evacuation
The sudden deflation startled passengers inside the cabin. John Abbate, traveling with his family after a vacation, described a violent arrival that broke the routine of a long-haul flight.
When we landed, it was very, very loud. I mean, I’ve had some rough landings before but this was just a big boom and we knew something was up. Everybody kind of looked at each other and didn’t know how to react.
John Abbate, Passenger
Abbate noted that passengers remained calm despite the shock, waiting as the aircraft sat stationary on the pavement. Because the plane could not taxi, airport operations dispatched emergency responders to the scene out of an abundance of caution. Travelers deplaned using mobile stairs placed directly on the tarmac and boarded buses for transport to the terminal.
While the airline reported zero injuries among the 234 passengers and 11 crew members, the Chicago Fire Department transported one person to a local hospital in good condition. Sources indicated that this individual suffered from an unrelated medical issue during the flight rather than sustaining injuries from the hard landing itself.
Expert Perspective on O’Hare Tire Failures and Maintenance Inspections
Erik Baker, a professor of aviation and transportation at Lewis University, explained that the sequence of events aligns with expected mechanical failures when a landing gear component malfunctions.
When a locked wheel or a locked brake that locks the wheel, you’re going to blow the tire. And so, they knew about that potential. They had a brake indication. They alerted tower. They knew that was going to be the potential outcome.
Erik Baker, Professor of aviation and transportation at Lewis University
Baker added that while tire failures draw considerable attention, they occur with some regularity given high flight volumes. Tuesday’s incident adds to a log of gear issues at Chicago’s primary hub. Federal records show at least four prior incidents involving blown tires or braking malfunctions at O’Hare since mid-August, including a United Airlines blowout and multiple American Airlines taxiway blowouts.
American Airlines confirmed that the Boeing 787 has been pulled from service for a comprehensive examination by maintenance specialists. Per procedure, first responders met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution and customers were transported safely to the terminal by bus. The aircraft has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We thank our team members for their professionalism and we apologize to our customers for their experience,
the carrier said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate the exact cause of the brake failure.