Planes Grounded: Tire Blowouts Plague O'Hare

On Monday, August 19, 2026, Chicago O'Hare International Airport experienced two separate incidents where commercial aircraft reported blown tires after landing. The first occurred around 2 p.m. when American Airlines Flight 386, arriving from New York's LaGuardia Airport, safely landed with two blown tires. Passengers were safely deplaned and bused to the terminal.

Just over three hours later, at approximately 5:15 p.m., United Airlines Flight 739, carrying 121 passengers from Omaha, Nebraska, also reported a blown tire upon its safe arrival at O'Hare. Customers deplaned via airstairs and were transported to the terminal by bus. No injuries were reported in either incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating both events. These occurrences add to a series of recent tire-related issues at Chicago airports, including a United Airlines plane that aborted takeoff less than a week prior and a Southwest Airlines flight that blew a tire after landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on August 3, 2026.

These incidents took place amidst a busy summer travel season at O'Hare. In response to operational constraints and to mitigate delays, the FAA had previously imposed limits on scheduled operations at the airport for the peak summer 2026 travel season.