Two aircraft experienced tire damage at Chicago O’Hare International Airport within hours of each other on Monday, prompting investigations by the FAA and causing passenger disruptions. American Airlines flight 386 and United Airlines flight 739 both landed safely, with no injuries reported.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) faced two separate incidents on Monday as two commercial flights encountered tire damage upon landing, according to multiple local reports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed it is investigating both events, which occurred hours apart and in different parts of the airport.
American Airlines Flight 386: Tire Issue After Landing From LaGuardia
American Airlines flight 386, arriving from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), experienced a tire blowout shortly after landing at O’Hare around 1:59 p.m. local time, according to the FAA and NBC 5 Chicago. The Boeing 737-800, operating as AA386, had departed LGA at 1:02 p.m., 57 minutes behind its scheduled departure. Emergency vehicles were deployed to the aircraft, and passengers were evacuated via bus to the terminal, the airline confirmed. Abc7chicago reported that delays at O’Hare remained under 15 minutes during the incident.
The aircraft, registered as N844NN, was taken out of service for inspection by American Airlines. The airline issued a statement thanking its team and apologizing to passengers: We thank our team members for their professionalism and we apologize to our customers for their experience.
Simple Flying noted the plane, which has operated solely for American since July 2010, was later scheduled to fly to Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on Tuesday as AA1121.
United Airlines Flight 739: Tire Damage Upon Arrival From Omaha
Hours after the American Airlines incident, United Airlines flight 739 suffered tire damage upon landing at O’Hare from Omaha, Nebraska (OMA). The Airbus A320-200, operating as UA739, arrived at 5:22 p.m., 22 minutes behind its scheduled time. According to Simple Flying, the plane’s tire burst as it exited the runway, forcing passengers to deplane via airstairs and board buses to the terminal.
United confirmed no injuries and stated that the aircraft, registered as N4901U, was carrying 126 occupants, including 121 passengers and five crew. The airline said the incident occurred in a different part of the airport from the American Airlines event, and airport officials reported no debris on the runway. NBC 5 Chicago noted that Chicago firefighters found no signs of smoke or flame after the incident.
FAA Investigation and Airport Response
The FAA confirmed it is investigating both incidents, though it has not yet determined if the tire failures were related. Both aircraft were removed from service for inspections, with plans to return to flight operations after tire replacements.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest in the U.S., has seen a string of recent tire-related incidents. Simple Flying noted that this follows a United Airlines flight aborting takeoff earlier in the week and a Southwest Airlines jet experiencing nose gear issues at Midway Airport in July. The FAA has not yet issued any safety advisories related to the latest events.
What’s Next for the Affected Aircraft?
The American Airlines plane, N844NN, is scheduled to operate as AA1121 from O’Hare to Austin on Tuesday, according to Simple Flying. United’s A320, N4901U, is set to fly to Dallas (DFW) as UA528 on the same day. Both aircraft, which are over 16 and 20 years old respectively, have been in service for decades, with the United plane previously operated by China Southern before joining United in 2006.
Passengers on both flights have been rebooked, and the airport has not reported ongoing delays as of Tuesday morning. The incidents highlight the ongoing challenges of maintaining safety in high-traffic air travel, with aviation authorities continuing to monitor the situation.
