Passengers Evacuated After Smoke Spotted in the Landing Gear of Turkish Airlines Plane

A "technical malfunction in the hydraulic pipe" caused the incident, according to an airline spokesperson

NEED TO KNOW

• Passengers evacuated a Turkish Airlines flight on Tuesday, July 29, after crews spotted smoke in the landing gear
• All 247 passengers and 13 crew members evacuated safely without injury
• The incident follows an American Airlines flight that evacuated at Denver International Airport after a "mechanical issue" on July 26

Passengers onboard a Turkish Airlines flight were evacuated after smoke was spotted in the landing gear. 

In video footage obtained by local Turkish outlet Mynet, passengers are seen panicking at the foot of deployed emergency exit slides. Both adults and children run away from the aircraft as rescue crews appear in the background.

The Boeing 777-300 departed Istanbul and made a “normal landing” at Antalya Airport on July 29. However, ground crews saw something out of the ordinary emerging from the landing gear.

“Smoke was observed emanating from the landing gear during taxiing, which was noticed by the air traffic controller and reported to the pilot,” Enes Çakmak, a leader of Turkey’s General Directorate of State Airports Authority, said in a translated post on X. 

He added: “Subsequently, swift coordination was established between the control tower and ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting) units, and our teams promptly arrived at the scene.” 

All 247 passengers and 13 crew members evacuated. No injuries were reported. 

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A video shared by Çakmak on X shows firefighters on the tarmac spraying water on the landing gear. Two photos capture the plane with its emergency exit slides deployed. Another clip shows the plane safely towed after inspection.

“I extend my gratitude to all my colleagues, particularly our air traffic control and ARFF teams, who acted promptly and effectively with their professional reflexes,” Çakmak said in his post. “I hope such an incident does not occur again.”

Yahya Üstün, Turkish Airlines’ senior vice president of communications, said a “technical malfunction” caused the incident.

“Technical inspections of the aircraft have been initiated by our authorized teams,” he wrote on X. “Initial findings indicate that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in the hydraulic pipe.” 

Earlier this week, an American Airlines flight caught fire due to a “mechanical issue” with the landing gear. 

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On Saturday, July 26, the Miami-bound flight was forced to evacuate shortly before takeoff at Denver International Airport after experiencing a “mechanical issue involving an aircraft tyre and flames,” the airlines said in a statement to PEOPLE.

“The combination of blown tires and the deceleration of the aircraft during braking resulted in a minor isolated brake fire that was quickly extinguished by the Denver Fire Department,” the airline concluded.

There were 173 passengers on board and six crew members. One passenger was transported to the hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines confirmed to PEOPLE.

Footage from the incident was posted on Instagram showing passengers evacuating the smoking plane via an inflatable emergency exit slide. Those with small children held onto their kids as they went down. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.