Local News in Brief : Jet Tires Blow on Runway
Four of the 10 tires on a Continental Airlines DC-10 deflated after overheating Thursday when the pilot--unsure whether another jet had cleared the runway--aborted a takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport and slammed on the brakes, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Ellie Brekke, an FAA spokeswoman, said the tires deflated automatically when a safety device, designed to prevent tires from catching fire, sensed a heat buildup and released the air pressure as the jumbo jet was taxiing back to the gate.
She said the deflation stalled the jet on the taxiway, so the 148 passengers deplaned using portable stairways. There were no reports of injury.
The plane--Continental Flight 43--was taking off for Honolulu when the pilot noticed that a Delta Airlines L-1011 that had just landed was pulling to a stop on an adjacent taxiway, Brekke said. Unsure whether the L-1011’s tail was still projecting onto the runway, the Continental pilot applied the brakes.
The DC-10 was going about 115 m.p.h.--well below liftoff speed--when the pilot elected to abort, Brekke said.
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