Sonali Tiwary
A DHL cargo plane caught fire during landing at [Los Angeles International Airport](https://www.lawa.org/) late Wednesday night after the pilot reported a possible brake problem. The aircraft landed safely and both crew members evacuated without injury.
The Boeing 737-800 freighter, operated by [Kalitta Charters II](https://www.kalittaair.com/) for DHL, arrived from [Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport](https://www.phoenixairport.org/) around 11:10 PM and touched down on Runway 25L at LAX. During landing rollout, the pilot reported to air traffic control: “I don’t know if we blew a tire but it feels like the brakes locked up.”
Visible flames and smoke appeared around the rear landing gear as the plane slowed. The brakes on the left main landing gear overheated, causing four tires to fail. Flames engulfed the gear assembly as firefighting crews were alerted.
Los Angeles Fire Department airport rescue firefighting crews reached the aircraft within minutes. Firefighters extinguished the flames and cooled the overheated landing gear. The aircraft came to a complete stop safely on the runway with no injuries reported to the two-person crew.
Airport personnel closed Runway 25L temporarily to clear debris and tow the aircraft to a parking area. The incident was logged for preliminary review by aviation authorities.
What caused the fire remains under investigation. The [Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/) will review the incident through its standard preliminary investigation procedures. The FAA gathers data from the aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, interviews the flight crew, and examines the mechanical components involved.
The pilot’s statement—that the brakes “felt like” they locked up—reflects his immediate impression during an emergency. Investigators will determine whether a brake lockup actually occurred or whether another mechanical failure caused the tire damage and fire. [Landing gear systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_gear) can involve multiple connected mechanical systems.
Both crew members exited safely. Runway operations resumed after the temporary closure.
The investigation will take weeks or months. The FAA typically releases preliminary findings within 30 days of an incident, though final determinations about mechanical cause can take much longer. Until investigators release formal findings, the precise sequence of mechanical failures remains unknown.
This is a developing story. Updates will come as the FAA investigation progresses.
