Atlas Air Boeing 747-400F Makes Emergency Landing in Los Angeles After Blown Tire

A Boeing 747-400 freighter operated by charter airline Atlas Air made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday after the flight crew reported a blown tire. Despite the potentially hazardous situation, the aircraft landed safely and taxied independently to the airport’s cargo area.

The Incident

The aircraft, registered as N429MC, departed from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and was en route to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) in Santa Lucía, Mexico, operating as flight GTI8350. The plane, which has 18 tires, experienced a tire blowout during the flight, though it is unclear when the tire burst.

John Schreiber, a photojournalist at CBS Los Angeles, captured video footage of the incident. The video shows the aircraft approaching the runway with rubber from the blown tire visibly hanging off the wheel. The plane landed gently and proceeded to taxi slowly on the tarmac, where it was met by LAX Fire Department officials as a precaution.

Flight Path Analysis

According to data from FlightAware, the 33-year-old Boeing 747 took off from Anchorage at 10:29 and climbed to 30,000 feet over the Gulf of Alaska. About 30 minutes into the flight, the aircraft reached 33,000 feet and continued down the west coast of Canada at approximately 560 miles per hour.

At around 11:45, a significant descent occurred, dropping 6,000 feet in three minutes, suggesting this may be when the tire issue was detected. The aircraft then maintained an altitude of 27,000 feet for two hours before beginning its descent into LAX.

At 15:45 PST, the plane began its final descent and followed a standard approach path, circling back to align with Runway 25L. It landed safely at 16:08 PST.

Aircraft and Tire Information

The Boeing 747-400F, initially a passenger aircraft with All Nippon Airways (ANA) in 1990, was converted to a freighter in 2008 and has been part of Atlas Air's cargo fleet since. Aircraft tires are designed to withstand significant forces and can handle loads up to 76,000 pounds. They are built to meet the ground approximately 500 times before requiring a retread, which can be done up to seven times before replacement.

Tire blowouts are more common during takeoffs due to the increased weight from fuel. Therefore, the blown tire could have occurred during the departure from ANC.

Response and Safety Measures

The incident highlights the robust design of aircraft tires and the effective emergency procedures in place. Simple Flying contacted Atlas Air for comment, but a representative was not available.

The aircraft remains on the ground at LAX, and its return to service is yet to be determined.