All tyres burst as LATAM jet lands in Atlanta, runway shut briefly

A dramatic aviation incident unfolded at Atlanta’s main airport on Tuesday evening when a passenger aircraft suffered a rare landing failure, with all eight of its landing tyres bursting the moment it touched the runway.

The aircraft, LATAM Airlines Flight 2482, a Boeing 767, had arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after a seven-hour journey from Lima, Peru.

Loud bangs and smoke on touchdown

Airport staff and witnesses described hearing multiple loud popping sounds as the plane landed, followed by smoke rising from the wheels. Some passengers later said the aircraft felt as though it was “rattling on the tarmac” for an unusually long time while slowing down.

Despite the frightening landing, no injuries were reported among the 221 passengers and crew on board.

Cabin damage seen after landing

Images from the scene showed visible interior damage, including dislodged cabin panels and a lavatory door torn from its hinges. Emergency crews rushed to the runway as a precaution, and passengers remained on the tarmac for nearly two hours before being taken to the terminal by buses.

Possible braking system fault

Aviation experts told local media that the incident was unlikely to have been caused by a hard landing. Instead, attention has turned to a potential malfunction in the aircraft’s automatic braking system.

Retired Boeing 767 pilot Capt. Paul Carr described the incident as “very odd”, noting that while individual tyre blowouts can occur, it is extremely rare for all eight tyres to fail at once.

“If the brake system locked all the wheels at the same time, the friction could have caused every tyre to burst,” he explained.

Runway closed briefly, flights continue

The affected runway was temporarily closed to allow emergency checks and aircraft recovery, but airport authorities confirmed that overall operations at Atlanta were not significantly disrupted.

Investigations are expected to determine the exact cause of the landing failure, with aircraft systems and braking logic likely to be examined closely.