Four people were injured during an incident involving a Delta Air Lines aircraft that had to be evacuated after landing Wednesday evening in Atlanta, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, at least one of the plane’s left gear tires blew out while landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 6 p.m. Passengers of the Boeing 757, which took off from Richmond International Airport in Virginia, evacuated via slides after a safe landing, officials said.
A Delta spokesperson said that in addition to the tire popping, some components of the landing gear may have been hot.
About 190 passengers were on the plane, and authorities said at least four reported being injured. Atlanta fire officials confirmed that three people suffered minor injuries but refused to be taken to a hospital. One person was taken to a hospital, but their condition was not released. The fire department said they cannot confirm at what point those injuries occurred.
“We apologize to each for this experience — nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew,” the Delta spokesperson added.
Delta officials did not say what caused the tire to pop but confirmed that after an inspection by the maintenance team, the aircraft’s landing gear will be replaced before returning it to service.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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