Tire on Delta flight pops while landing in Atlanta, 1 person injured, airline says

ByTeddy Grant ABCNews logo
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Passengers use slides to evacuate Delta flight after hard landing
Passengers had to use emergency slides to evacuate a Delta flight after a hard landing in Atlanta.

Passengers evacuated a Delta Airlines flight Wednesday after a tire on a landing gear popped as the plane landed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The left main gear tire blew when the plane made a hard landing around 6 p.m. at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the FAA said in a statement.

Passengers aboard the flight, which departed from Richmond International Airport in Virginia, had to exit via the plane's emergency sides, according to the FAA.

A woman on board the flight, who doesn't want to be identified, told ABC News Atlanta affiliate WSB, that one tire popped and another shredded when the plane made the rough landing, causing the plane to skid on the runway.

After passengers evacuated the plane, they boarded a bus and were taken to a terminal in the airport, Delta said.

"We appreciate the efforts of our flight crew and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport first responders to manage through the safe landing of flight 1437 at our hub this afternoon," Delta told ABC News in a statement. "We apologize to each for this experience -- nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew."

There were around 190 passengers aboard the flight and Delta received a report that one person was injured, according to airline officials.

Air traffic control operations aren't expected to be affected by the incident, the FAA said.

The FAA said it would investigate the incident at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.

Last month, another Delta plane landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International Airport without its front landing gear.

No injuries were reported among the two pilots, three flight attendants or the 96 customers on board the Boeing 717, according to Delta.

Delta said its pilots received a "nose gear unsafe" indication and flew by the Charlotte airport's air traffic control tower to allow air traffic control an opportunity to "visually inspect the plane." That showed the nose landing gear doors were open, but the nose gear itself remained in the up position, Delta said at the time.

ABC News' Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.