A fire erupted under a DHL cargo plane arriving from Phoenix Wednesday night when the aircraft touched down at Los Angeles International Airport.
The plane was seen at about 11:10 p.m. on the southern-most runways, located just west of the Sepulveda Tunnel, with flames shooting from underneath. In a statement, the FAA said the plane’s brakes locked after landing, blowing out four tires and causing a fire.
Air traffic control audio captured four popping sounds as the plane landed.
Initially reported a possible engine fire, Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters met the plane on the runway and determined the left main landing gear caught fire and flames spread to tires on that side of the plane.
A smaller fire appeared to continue burning under the plane after it stopped on the runway before fire crews arrived and doused flames.
In a statement from DHL, they confirmed that “a Kalitta Charters II aircraft operating on behalf of DHL experienced an apparent brake system issue upon landing at the LAX airport on the night of August 26, which resulted in a brake overheat.”
No injuries were reported and all crew members were reported to be safe, the statement said.
Crews were working to remove the disabled plane Thursday morning from the closed runway. The closure might result in flight delays, but no major delays were being reported late Thursday morning, according to airport officials.