Boeing 737 forced into emergency landing after explosion on take off

By Alice Scarsi, World News Editor, Jon King, News Reporter

An aircraft tire exploded during takeoff (Image: Emergency services Uppsala)

The explosion of an aircraft's tire during take-off prompted an emergency landing in Sweden. The plane was heading from Stockholm to Paris when the blow out forced it to land at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, according to local media.

There were 181 passengers on board the jet, Swedish news outlet, Expressen, reported. The publication quoted Sara Eriksson from Sweden's Maritime and Air Traffic Control Centre as saying: "A tire explosion occurred during take-off."

Pilots warned of a "hard landing" before the Boeing 737 jet was guided back down to the ground at 11am local time (10am BST) today (August 27).

Ms Eriksson is quoted by local media as saying the emergency landing was executed without complaints.

Plane tyres can burst for various reasons, including debris on a runway, overheating and not being inflated enough.

In July, a Boeing 737 Max 8 was evacuated after a tyre blew out. American Airlines flight 3023 was about to leave Denver International Airport for Miami when the "mechanical issue" forced pilots to abort take-off.

The six crew and 173 passengers were able to exit the plane safely, though one person was taken to hospital for a minor injury.

Footage of that incident showed smoke billowing from the aircraft as those on board exited via inflatable slides.

Tyre blow outs might not be as dangerous as other aircraft malfunctions, but they can cause injuries and even fatalities, according to Keith Williams Law Group.

The personal injuries law firm said while plane accidents are "relatively rare", they can potentially prove to be catastrophic. 

It said aircraft tires are designed to take the weight of a full load along with the pressure and friction caused when a plane takes off or lands.

Experts cited by the Group point to blow outs happeing when a plane has to quickly slow down upon landing or at take off when tyres are at their highest temperature.