This is the moment an American Airlines plane tire catches fire and explodes during takeoff. The flight was taking off from Tampa in Florida and was due to fly to Phoenix on Wednesday (10 July), when the incident occurred. The issue involved a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, airline spokesman Alfredo Garduño told USA Today. Emergency responders rushed to the scene just before 8am local time. Everyone on board, including 174 passengers and six crew members, were "safely deplaned and were bussed to the terminal," Garduño said.