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American Airlines jet blows tire, catches fire at Chicago airport - UPDATED

American Airlines jet blows tire, catches fire at Chicago airport - <span style="color: red;">UPDATED

28 October 2016 23:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An American Airlines jet blew a tire at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Friday, sparking a fire and prompting the pilot to abort takeoff before passengers were evacuated from the plane via emergency chute, authorities said. American Airlines says seven passengers and one flight attendant reported injuries in the incident. The incident involving American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing B767 bound for Miami, occurred at about 2:30 p.m. CDT, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Footage from Chicago's ABC News affiliate station, WLS-TV, showed an American Airlines jet on the ground with flames and large clouds of black smoke billowing from one side of the aircraft, which had its emergency slides deployed. Passengers milled about on the airfield watching the blaze as fire trucks poured water on the flames. Cory said the mishap was caused by a blown tire and that the flight crew aborted takeoff. But American Airlines said in a statement that takeoff of the jet was aborted "due to an engine-related mechanical issue."

The plane was carrying 161 passengers and a crew of nine at the time, the airline said. The Chicago Department of Aviation issued a statement saying the city fire department responded to an aircraft fire involving American Airlines Flight 383 and that the passengers were off the plane. The Aviation Department said there was no crash involved. The incident forced the closure of two of the airport's runways. No further details about the circumstances of the mishap were immediately available. The FAA said it was investigating the incident.

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00:21

Baku-APA. Eight people were injured when an American Airlines jet caught fire at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Friday afternoon, APA reports quoting sputniknews.com.

The fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m. local time. American Airlines said 161 passengers and 9 crew members were on board the plane that was headed from Chicago to Miami. Seven passengers and one flight attendant suffered minor injuries.