Southwest Flight 1243 blows nose gear tires landing at Chicago Midway
A Southwest Airlines flight from Fort Myers suffered a nose gear tire failure while landing at Chicago Midway on Monday morning, with passengers reporting smoke before the jet was towed to the gate.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1243, arriving from Fort Myers, Florida, suffered a nose gear tire failure while landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Monday, August 3. Southwest said the tires lost air pressure. The plane landed safely and was towed to the gate; no injuries have been confirmed.
The nose gear tires of a Southwest Airlines flight blew out as the plane landed at Chicago Midway International Airport on Monday morning, August 3, according to reports. The flight, identified as Southwest Flight 1243, had departed from Fort Myers, Florida, earlier that morning. Southwest said the nose gear tires lost air pressure during the landing. Passengers on board reported seeing smoke near the landing gear and smelling burnt rubber after touchdown, according to reports. One passenger said those on the plane could see smoke and knew something was wrong, though the smoke was not excessive. Emergency crews responded to the aircraft on the runway, and the plane was towed off the runway and taken to the gate. The flight is reported to have landed safely. Much about the incident remains unconfirmed. The cause of the tire failure, the number of people on board, and whether anyone was injured have not been established. It is also not yet known whether any aviation authority has opened an investigation, or how long operations at Midway were disrupted.
Nose gear tires fail as Flight 1243 lands at Midway
A Southwest Airlines flight arriving in Chicago from Florida suffered a nose gear tire failure during landing on Monday morning, August 3, according to early reports.
The aircraft, identified in reports as Southwest Flight 1243, had departed Fort Myers, Florida, bound for Chicago Midway International Airport. According to those reports, the flight made a hard landing at Midway, and the tires on its nose gear blew out during the touchdown.
Southwest Airlines said the nose gear tires lost air pressure during the landing, according to reports of the airline's account. The carrier has not publicly detailed what caused the pressure loss.
Corroboration of the incident remains limited. The flight number, the hard landing and the tire failure have been attributed to initial reports rather than confirmed by aviation authorities, and key details — including the number of people on board, the aircraft type and whether anyone was hurt — have not been established.
What is clear is that the flight's arrival at Midway on Monday morning did not go as planned, and that the problem centred on the nose gear at the front of the aircraft as it touched down.
Smoke, burnt rubber and the emergency response on the runway
Passengers aboard the flight saw smoke near the aircraft's landing gear after touchdown, according to reports carried by outlets including MSN and Marca. One passenger told reporters that those on board could see the smoke and knew something was wrong, though they described it as not excessive. The smell of burnt rubber also spread through the cabin in the moments after the landing, passengers said.
Emergency crews responded to the aircraft on the runway at Midway, according to the reports. The smoke was concentrated around the landing gear area, where the nose gear tires had failed during the landing. Southwest Airlines said the tires lost air pressure as the plane touched down.
Details of the emergency response remain limited. It is not yet confirmed how many crews or vehicles were dispatched, or how long the aircraft remained on the runway before it was moved. The passenger accounts of the smoke and the burnt rubber smell come from media reports and have not been independently corroborated by the airline or aviation authorities.
A safe landing, then a tow to the gate
Flight 1243 departed Fort Myers, Florida, on the morning of Monday, August 3, bound for Chicago Midway International Airport. According to reports, the aircraft made a hard landing on arrival, but it touched down safely. Once on the runway, the plane could not continue under its own power. Emergency crews responded to the aircraft where it stopped, and the jet was subsequently towed off the runway and taken to the gate, reports said. Southwest confirmed the flight landed safely at Midway. The full sequence, from departure in Florida to the tow at the gate, unfolded over the course of Monday morning.
Southwest Flight 1243 departed Fort Myers, Florida, bound for Chicago Midway International Airport.
Flight 1243 made a hard landing at Chicago Midway International Airport.
The aircraft's nose gear tires blew out during the landing; Southwest said the tires lost air pressure.
Smoke was reported near the landing gear, and passengers said they could see smoke and smelled burnt rubber.
The flight landed safely, and emergency crews responded to the aircraft on the runway.
The aircraft was towed off the runway and taken to the gate.
What investigators and the airline have yet to confirm
Much about the incident remains unconfirmed. The cause of the nose gear tire failure is not yet known, and Southwest has not said how many passengers and crew were aboard Flight 1243. Whether anyone was injured has not been reported. The type of aircraft operating the flight has not been disclosed, and it is unclear how long, if at all, the runway was closed or operations at Midway were disrupted. No aviation authority has confirmed opening an investigation. This is a developing story, and details may change as more information is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Southwest Flight 1243 at Chicago Midway?
According to reports, Southwest Airlines Flight 1243 experienced a problem with its nose gear while landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Monday, August 3. The nose gear tires reportedly blew out during what was described as a hard landing, and smoke was seen near the landing gear. The flight landed safely, and the aircraft was later towed off the runway.
Did Southwest Flight 1243 land safely, and was anyone hurt?
Reports indicate that Flight 1243 landed safely at Midway International Airport. Emergency crews responded to the aircraft on the runway after smoke was reported near the landing gear. Whether anyone was injured among the passengers or crew has not been confirmed, and the number of people on board is not yet known.
Where was Southwest Flight 1243 coming from?
According to reports, the flight departed from Fort Myers, Florida, on the morning of Monday, August 3, bound for Chicago Midway International Airport. The nose gear problem occurred during the landing in Chicago later that morning.
What did passengers on Flight 1243 see and smell during the landing?
According to reports, passengers on board could see smoke near the landing gear and knew something was wrong, though the smoke was not described as excessive. Passengers also reported smelling burnt rubber after the landing. Southwest Airlines said the nose gear tires lost air pressure during the landing.
Was the Southwest plane towed off the runway at Midway?
Reports say the aircraft was towed off the runway and taken to the gate after landing. How long the runway was closed or whether operations at Midway were otherwise disrupted has not been confirmed. It is also not yet known whether any aviation authority has opened an investigation into the incident.
Compiled from reporting by 4 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.