What was supposed to be a routine flight quickly turned into a terrifying experience for nearly 250 passengers in Turkey, as a Turkish Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing after its landing gear caught fire—prompting passengers to flee across the airport tarmac.
Emergency Landing Sparks Chaos in Antalya
The drama unfolded shortly after THY flight TK243 took off from Istanbul at 5:25pm.
Just as the Boeing 777-300ER was taxiing on the runway at Antalya Airport, thick smoke began pouring from its landing gear.
Reports suggest a hydraulic failure may have triggered the fire.
Video footage showed passengers scrambling down emergency slides, with some sprinting across the tarmac to safety.
It was a frightening moment, but thankfully, all 247 passengers and 13 crew members were evacuated safely.
The aircraft has since been towed to a secure area.
No Injuries Reported, But Investigation Underway
While no injuries were reported in this particular incident, Turkish Airlines has yet to issue an official statement.
Investigators are now looking into what caused the mechanical fault.
The dramatic evacuation added to growing concern over aircraft safety, particularly surrounding landing gear malfunctions.
Second Boeing Scare in Just Two Days
This wasn’t the only runway scare in recent days. Just two days earlier, a separate Boeing aircraft had to be evacuated at Denver Airport after a similar issue with its landing gear.
Flight AA3023, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 headed for Miami, was forced to cancel takeoff at the last minute on Saturday afternoon.
As smoke billowed from beneath the plane, emergency crews rushed to evacuate all 173 passengers and six crew members.
While most people escaped unharmed, five were treated at the scene, and one person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Mechanical Issue Blamed for Denver Incident
The FAA confirmed that the issue at Denver occurred during takeoff from runway 34L.
Though the exact fault hasn’t been officially confirmed, American Airlines said the aircraft suffered a maintenance problem with one of its tires, forcing them to take the plane out of service for inspection.
Growing Concerns Over Landing Gear Faults
While both incidents ended without major casualties, they’ve raised alarms about how often mechanical issues involving landing gear are occurring.
With investigations now underway in both Turkey and the United States, passengers are hoping for some reassurance about the safety of future flights.