The American Airlines flight was accelerating on the runway at Denver International Airport around 2:45pm local time on Saturday when the incident happened.
The flight crew was alerted to visible flames and smoke near the aircraft’s landing gear and air traffic controllers immediately ordered the plane to abort take-off for Miami.
Within moments, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the undercarriage, prompting the deployment of emergency slides and the evacuation of all 173 passengers and six crew members.
Passengers were seen fleeing down the inflatable slides and running across the tarmac as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
It took firefighters almost two hours to fully extinguish the blaze.
American Airlines confirmed that six people sustained minor injuries during the evacuation, with one individual transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The remaining passengers were assessed at the airport and provided with alternate travel arrangements.
“We are grateful to our team members and first responders for their professionalism in assisting our customers during this incident,” the airline said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident, which early reports suggest was caused by a tyre or landing gear malfunction. The aircraft has been taken out of service for a full inspection.
