Jet Blows Tires on Landing

A passenger jet blew three of its six tires on landing Friday at John Wayne Airport, blocking the main commercial runway for hours, delaying hundreds of travelers but causing no injuries, officials said.

The blowouts occurred as a Delta Air Lines MD-90 set down at 12:20 p.m., causing a small fire in the landing gear that was quickly extinguished by Orange County Fire Authority emergency crews. Passengers were evacuated down the jet’s rear ramp.

“When the plane landed, the brake fluid was extremely hot and . . . caught fire,” airport spokeswoman Ann Gill-McCarley said. “There was never any danger to the aircraft or the passengers.”

Changing the tires so the plane could be moved required bringing in equipment from Los Angeles International Airport. Meanwhile, the disabled plane, which had arrived from Dallas with 50 people aboard, sat on the runway.

Dozens of airline flights due to land at John Wayne were diverted to other Southern California airports, and some departing flights were canceled, Gill-McCarley said. Private aircraft continued to use shorter runways at the Orange County airport. Commercial service resumed at 4:35 p.m.

Stranded passengers inside the terminal gathered around flight monitors and queued up at counters to change travel plans. Outside the terminal, airline employees fielded questions and handed out taxi vouchers for passengers rerouted to LAX.

Chris Schmid, 24, whose flight to Atlanta was canceled, decided to extend his visit. “I’m very, very annoyed,” Schmid said. “I don’t mind spending one more night in Southern California, but I’d rather be home.”

His friend Kevin Dennis, 26, used his cell phone to call his employer and book hotel rooms.

“We were 20 people in a group, but we’re all scattered,” Dennis said. “Some are flying out of LAX, some are in the same boat as me, and some are staying at hotels.”

Jeff Sharp, 30, and colleague Carla O’Hara, 43, decided to rent a car and drive the 350 miles to San Jose rather than battle the ticket lines. “We’re going to take a road trip,” O’Hara said, picking up her bags. “We’re out of here.”