American Airlines Flight 41 Blows Two Tyres on Landing at Chicago O’Hare
American Airlines Flight 41 from Barcelona blew two tyres after landing at Chicago O'Hare on 20 October 2026, prompting emergency services to meet the aircraft on the runway.
By The Aviation Hub
3 min read
American Airlines Flight 41 blew two tyres after landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20 October 2026, bringing emergency services onto the runway and leaving 234 passengers to be bussed to the terminal.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a brake issue before landing. The incident is now under FAA investigation.
What Happened on American Airlines Flight 41
According to the Mirror, Flight AA41 was operating the Barcelona to Chicago O'Hare route when, at around 2.30pm local time, the crew reported a brake issue. After landing, a tyre was found to have blown.
Simple Flying reports that the aircraft involved was a Boeing 787. Local media, cited by the Mirror, reported that the aircraft's brakes dragged along the runway during landing and that the tyres likely went flat as a result of that dragging.
Emergency services met the aircraft on the runway as a precautionary measure. Passengers disembarked via a staircase and were transported to the terminal by bus.
What American Airlines Said
American Airlines issued a statement confirmed by the Mirror: "American Airlines flight 41 experienced a tyre issue after landing safely at Chicago (ORD). Per procedure, first responders met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution and customers were transported safely to the terminal by bus."
The airline added that the aircraft had been taken out of service for inspection by its maintenance team. It thanked crew members for their professionalism and apologised to customers for their experience.
Passengers and Crew on Board
The Mirror reports that 234 customers and 11 crew members were on board at the time. No injuries were reported among those on board.
The FAA Investigation
The FAA confirmed it will investigate the incident. It had no further information at the time of reporting. The cause of the brake issue had not been established, and it would not be appropriate to draw conclusions before investigators have done so.
Track the latest developments through our Squawk 7700 hub, which carries our live emergency board and incident archive.
A Pattern of Tyre Incidents at O'Hare
This is not the first tyre-related incident at Chicago O'Hare in recent months. The Mirror notes that several incidents involving landing gear and blown tyres have occurred at O'Hare since August 2026, citing local outlet 5Chicago.
On 13 August, a United Airlines flight blew a tyre while taking off. On 17 August, an American Airlines flight blew a tyre while taxiing after landing, and a United Airlines flight did the same hours later. On 21 August, an American Airlines flight again blew a tyre after landing. On 25 August, a Republic Airlines flight reported issues with its braking gear. The following day, 26 August, passengers aboard an American Airlines flight were forced to deplane before take-off after the aircraft blew two tyres while taxiing at O'Hare.
Most of those earlier incidents involved tyres that blew during taxiing rather than on landing roll, though the pattern at one of the United States' busiest airports will attract attention.
For readers wanting to explore American Airlines' wider network and recent developments at the carrier, our Airline Search tool is a useful starting point. We also covered American Airlines parting ways with its network planning chief earlier this month amid a broader push toward premium revenue.
The Bottom Line
American Airlines Flight 41 landed safely at Chicago O'Hare on 20 October 2026, but the tyre blowout and brake drag will add to scrutiny of the airport's recent record of landing gear incidents. The FAA has opened an investigation. We will update our coverage if the airline or investigators release further information.
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