United Flight Suffers Tire Damage During Takeoff At O'Hare

CHICAGO — A United Airlines flight bound for Phoenix aborted takeoff Thursday afternoon at O'Hare International Airport after sustaining tire damage, prompting an emergency response and forcing passengers to deplane on the airfield.

United Airlines Flight 455 was preparing to depart O'Hare for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport when the aircraft experienced a tire issue during its takeoff roll, according to reports from ABC7 Chicago and information attributed to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737-900 did not continue the takeoff and remained at O'Hare. No injuries were reported.

United told ABC7 that the flight “ended its takeoff roll after sustaining tire damage” and that passengers were taken back to the terminal while the airline arranged another aircraft to continue the trip to Phoenix.

Passengers Deplaned On Airfield

ABC7 reported that emergency crews surrounded the aircraft after the incident and passengers were eventually taken off the plane.

The FAA said passengers deplaned on a taxiway after the aircraft experienced the tire issue, according to ABC7's reporting.

The incident occurred around 1:45 p.m. Thursday, according to ABC7.

Flight 455 is a regularly scheduled United route from O'Hare to Phoenix and is scheduled to use a Boeing 737-900 on the Aug. 13 flight.

FAA Investigation Expected

The FAA investigates commercial aviation incidents involving mechanical and operational issues, though as of late Thursday afternoon, the agency had not yet posted a dedicated Flight 455 entry on its public accident and incident statements page.

The FAA's public page said its incident information is preliminary and subject to change and directs questions about commercial-airline passengers, crews and schedules to the carrier.

United said it was working to get the affected passengers to Phoenix aboard another aircraft.

No additional information was immediately available about what caused the tire damage or how long the aircraft would remain out of service.

Thunderstorms Also Disrupt O'Hare Flights

Separately, thunderstorms were affecting operations at O'Hare Thursday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration listed O'Hare under a ground stop because of thunderstorms, temporarily restricting flights bound for the airport.

The weather disruption was separate from the tire-damage incident involving United Flight 455.

Travelers should check directly with their airlines for flight-specific delays or cancellations, as FAA airport-status information reflects broader airport conditions rather than individual flights.