A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 suffered a burst tire upon landing in St. Louis, Missouri. The incident occurred on September 26th, 2019. The Boeing 737-700 incurred flap and gear damage. Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries or fatalities as a result of this incident.

Southwest tire burst

WN2291 was a normal flight operating from Southwest's hub in Dallas-Love Field, Texas to Saint Louis, Missouri on September 16th. Then, per a report from the Aviation Herald, the Boeing 737-700 suffered a tire burst upon landing on runway 12L. The aircraft was able to roll out after landing. No injuries or fatalities were reported. The airport, also, did not report any major operational disruptions.

Tire bursts normally are not major incidents. However, this was not the case for this particular 737. Data from FlightRadar24 shows the Boeing 737-700, registered as N740SW, was ferried to Atlanta on September 28th. This is because the aircraft suffered flap and gear damage.

Simple Flying reached out to Southwest for a comment. Southwest provided the following statement:

Upon landing last Thursday, the aircraft experienced a blown tire. The aircraft was taken out of service for the remainder of the evening for a maintenance check and has since returned to service.

Tire bursts upon landing

Tire bursts do occur in the aviation world. Recently, a Sunstate Airlines Dash 8 returned to Brisbane after a burst tire during takeoff. As in this case, the extent of damage from a burst tire can be significant. As a result, after takeoff, aircraft will sometimes return to their departure airport for further inspection. On the other hand, if the tire bursts upon landing, there is not much a crew can do except proceed with landing. Crews are specially trained to handle these kinds of scenarios.

It is important to realize that aircraft tires are designed to handle thousands of pounds of weight upon landing. The science behind the design and action of airplane tires has been solidified over years of research and experiences. As a result, tire bursts are not common but can occur. That being said, the likelihood of a tire burst impacting travel is rare.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700

Southwest Airlines only operates Boeing 737 aircraft. Fortunately for Southwest, its mechanics were able to repair the aircraft and get it back in service. Some of Southwest's 737s are even in special livery commemorating states.

Thankfully, there were no injuries or fatalities. And, the Boeing 737 involved in the incident is ready to re-enter passenger service.

Were you a passenger on this flight? What was the experience like? Have you ever experienced a burst tire? Let us know in the comments!