Delta Jet Blows Tire, Bursts Into Flame Landing in Atlanta
"Pilot did a great job" of getting plane to a stop safely, passenger says.
May 28, 2011— -- The pilot of a Delta jet that blew a tire and then caught fire as it landed in Atlanta today is being credited with getting the plane through it with no serious injuries to any of the passengers on board.
Delta Flight 2284, an MD88, blew at least one tire on landing after arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from Pittsburgh today, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The tire damage caused the landing gear to catch fire, and the plane billowed smoke as it came to a halt on the runway.
When the fire department had the fire out, passengers were bused to terminal, the FAA said.
Only three people suffered minor injuries, which the FAA said may have occured when they left plane.
"When we landed we could tell something was little off," passenger Peter Gitnik of Beaver, Pa., said "Pilot did a great job. It looked like the tire was on fire. It seemed really under control though. I think there were some minor scrapes but I'm not sure."