- A DHL cargo Boeing 737-800 at LAX Airport caught fire after its brakes locked during landing on August 26, 2026.
- Officials said four tires blew, Runway 25L closed briefly, and no one aboard was injured.
- The FAA and company investigators are reviewing the brake system issue while the aircraft is moved for inspection.
A DHL cargo Boeing 737-800 caught fire after its brakes locked during landing at Los Angeles International Airport on August 26, 2026, closing a runway at LAX Airport while crews extinguished the blaze. Four tires blew, and officials said no one aboard was injured.
The aircraft landed around 11 p.m. after flying from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. It operated for DHL through Kalitta Charters II.
The apparent brake system issue remains under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would examine the incident.
Two people were aboard. Neither was injured.
A recorded transmission captured the pilot describing the problem as the aircraft rolled to a stop:
“I don’t know if we blew a tire, but it feels like the brakes locked up.”
Jennifer Middleton, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson, said air traffic control initially reported “an engine fire at 11:06 p.m.” Firefighters later determined the flames did not originate with the engine.
Runway 25L stayed closed while crews secured the aircraft
The department said responders found a different problem when they reached the plane. “It was not an engine issue and that the plane’s brakes had locked up,” the department said.
Air traffic control instructed other aircraft to avoid the runway temporarily. Controllers also broadcast, “Runway 25 left is closed at this time.”
The closure involved Runway 25L, where the aircraft remained as crews inspected it and worked on its removal. The airport said the shutdown could cause delays, but officials reported no current major delays at that time.
The emergency response involved 13 Los Angeles Fire Department units. Crews left the scene at 12:44 a.m.
| Part of the event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800(BDSF) cargo jet |
| Operator | Kalitta Charters II, operating on behalf of DHL |
| Arrival airport | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport |
| People aboard | Two, with neither injured |
| Runway affected | Runway 25L |
| Fire department response | 13 units |
| Scene departure | 12:44 a.m. |
The landing damaged the left main gear and four rear tires
The fire began in the landing gear area. The department said, “The left main landing gear caught fire, which spread to the tires on that side.”
The FAA described the sequence as locked brakes followed by four blown tires and a fire. Video from the scene showed flames shooting beneath the jet as it moved down the runway and stopped.
Reports described damage to four rear tires, with one account saying they flattened. Aviation commentators characterized the event as a brake lockup, while officials continued to treat the cause as unresolved.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze without evacuating the crew. The aircraft remained on the field for inspection the next morning.
DHL described the failure in similar terms but stopped short of identifying a final cause. A spokesperson said the aircraft “experienced an apparent brake system issue upon landing at the LAX airport on the night of August 26, which resulted in a brake overheat.”
Federal and company authorities are examining the mechanical failure
The fire department said, “The cause of the mechanical failure remains under investigation by the appropriate federal and company authorities.”
The FAA’s investigation will proceed alongside the company’s examination of the aircraft. The cargo jet was operated by Kalitta Charters II, while DHL identified the aircraft’s landing problem in its statement.
DHL said, “The carrier is currently working to move the aircraft to facilitate further inspection and assessment.”
That work followed the emergency crews’ initial response and the runway inspection. The plane’s position on the field kept Runway 25L unavailable while authorities assessed the damage.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night, August 26, 2026. By the next morning, officials had reported no injuries and no current major delays, although the airport warned that the closure could still affect operations.
