LOS ANGELES — A DHL Boeing 737-800 freighter blew four tires and caught fire landing at LAX on Aug. 26. The crash triggered an LAX runway fire that shut down Runway 25L for hours. Afterward, crews swept debris and doused the wreckage before normal operations resumed.
Kalitta Charters II operated the aircraft, registered N326FL, on behalf of DHL. The jet was flying as Flight K5-1814 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Then, it touched down on Runway 25L around 11 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Indeed, preliminary FAA information indicates the aircraft’s brakes locked during the landing roll, overheating and blowing all four main-gear tires. USA Today reported that footage of the incident showed the jet landing with flames shooting from beneath it. The plane rolled down the runway trailing fire and sparks.
Air traffic control audio captured one of the pilots reporting trouble seconds after touchdown. “I don’t know if we blew a tire, but it feels like the brakes locked up,” a crew member told the tower. AeroTime reviewed video of the landing, captured by a livestream crew, and reported the exchange.
The footage shows white smoke pouring from the main landing gear moments after touchdown. Several loud pops and flashes followed as flames erupted beneath the aircraft. Ultimately, the jet rolled on, trailing fire and sparks, before stopping roughly halfway down the 11,095-foot runway.
LAX Runway Fire Forces Hours-Long Closure for Debris Sweep
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Department crews met the aircraft on the runway. They sprayed water on the smoldering landing gear to extinguish the blaze. Still, the small cargo crew aboard the freighter, which carried no passengers, escaped without injury.
Runway 25L stayed closed well into the following morning. The disabled 737 sat immobile; its wheels and brake assemblies were too damaged for the jet to taxi. Crews replaced the shredded tires and inspected the landing gear before towing the jet clear. The debris field left by four blown tires required a runway sweep before normal operations could resume.
The closure disrupted traffic on one of LAX’s southernmost runways for hours. Notably, a single mechanical failure can generate enough tire and wheel debris to ground a runway until crews clear it.
Investigators Focus on Anti-Skid System, Cause Not Yet Confirmed
DHL confirmed the aircraft experienced “an apparent brake system issue” on landing that “resulted in a brake overheat.” The airline said all crew members were safe. The FAA said it is investigating. Given the fire and landing-gear damage, the National Transportation Safety Board is likely to join the review as well.
A brake lockup occurs when an aircraft’s anti-skid system fails to release hydraulic pressure to a wheel in time. Friction heat then builds until it ignites the tire or hydraulic fluid. Investigators have not confirmed why the anti-skid system on N326FL failed to prevent the lockup. The aircraft is a 2001-built 737 converted to freighter configuration in December 2022.
The incident follows a string of tire-related runway disruptions at U.S. airports this year. Similarly, a cluster of five tire failures at Chicago O’Hare prompted its own FAA review of shared causes. Each case underscores the same operational reality. When a tire or wheel assembly fails, the runway becomes a debris field. Crews must fully clear it before traffic can resume.
Subscribe to FODNews for continuing coverage as the FAA’s investigation into the LAX brake fire develops.
Sources
- USA Today — “Cargo plane makes fiery landing at Los Angeles International Airport”
- AeroTime — “DHL Boeing 737 freighter’s wheels erupt in flames at LAX”
- Simple Flying — “Dramatic Livestream Captures Boeing 737 Tire Explosion On LAX Runway”
- ABC News — “DHL cargo plane catches fire during landing at LAX”
