An American Airlines jet arriving from Barcelona blew two tires after touching down at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, triggering an emergency response that left one passenger hospitalized, while 234 travelers were bused to the terminal. Flight 41 landed safely around 2:30 p.m.; the crew reported a brake issue before a tire blew, according to the FAA.
The Boeing 787-8 had carried 234 customers and 11 crew members on the transatlantic run from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Spain, as reported by ABC7 Chicago. Emergency vehicles surrounded the aircraft on the tarmac, and Chopper 7 captured the scene hovering over the plane around 4 p.m. Passengers exited via a staircase and were bused to the terminal after deplaning, per the FAA. The Chicago Fire Department said one person was hospitalized in good condition.
American Airlines said the Boeing 787-800 aircraft was pulled out of service so its maintenance team could inspect it, and the cause of the brake issue was not immediately clear. Authorities provided no additional information right away, and ABC7 reported the story was still developing with updates planned.
An Unusual Pattern of Tire Trouble at O'Hare
The incident lands amid what has been an unusually rough stretch for tires at O'Hare. In August 2026 alone, ABC7 reported at least four separate commercial jet tire failure incidents involving both American Airlines and United Airlines flights; 13News Now described three incidents in less than a week. One of those episodes came on August 26, 2026, when an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 bound for Charlotte blew two tires while taxiing for departure, forcing passengers to deplane onto the taxiway and ride shuttle buses back to the terminal, as reported by CNN.
Hoodline previously covered a flat-tire landing in May, when an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 arriving from Miami touched down with flat tires and required the same kind of airfield deplaning and portable-stairs response. Together, the string of incidents points to an airport that has repeatedly had to clear disabled jets from active surfaces this year.
Maintenance Inspection
American Airlines said the Boeing 787-800 was pulled out of service so its maintenance team could inspect it, and the cause of the brake issue was not immediately clear.
Under federal rules, damage limited to landing gear, wheels, or tires does not meet the threshold the National Transportation Safety Board uses to define substantial damage. Hoodline says events involving damage limited to those components typically remain with the airline and airport operations unless serious injuries or other qualifying factors exist.
