NBCNEWS.COM - A Southwest Airlines jet blew three tires Monday afternoon as the
pilot aborted a takeoff from Denver because of a fire warning light in
the cockpit.
The Las Vegas-bound Boeing 737 carried a full load of 137 passengers and five crew members. No one was injured.
Three
buses were sent onto the runway to retrieve the evacuated passengers,
and another plane was slated to take them to Las Vegas, Denver NBC
station KUSA-TV reported.
Southwest spokeswoman Olga Romero told The Denver Post that
the plane's rapid deceleration caused the jet's brakes to overheat and
led to the tires blowing out. She credited the pilot with heeding the
warning light.
"There was no fire," Romero added. "Procedurally,
the pilot had to stop the flight. He made the right decision to ensure
everything was safe."
On Monday evening, mechanics were trying to determine why the light came on, Romero said.
Airport
spokeswoman Cyndi Karvaski told the Post that it was common for brakes
to overheat and tires to blow out when a pilot stops a plane quickly
before takeoff.
The incident was the second in as many days involving blown tires on a commercial flight.
On Sunday, a United Express commuter plane from western New York blew four tires as it landed at Newark Liberty International Airport and veered off a runway.
The plane was carrying eight passengers and five crew members. No one was hurt.
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