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Southwest jet lands with wheel ablaze

Flames shot out from a wheel in the landing gear of a Southwest Airlines jet as it landed Monday at Sky Harbor International Airport, forcing the runway to be shut down for more than two hours.
Airplane Fire
A Southwest Airlines plane sits on the north runway after landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with flames coming from the right rear wheel on June 16, in Phoenix. Ross D. Franklin / AP
/ Source: The Associated Press

Flames shot out from a wheel in the landing gear of a Southwest Airlines jet as it landed Monday at Sky Harbor International Airport, forcing the runway to be shut down for more than two hours.

Firefighters put out the blaze within seconds, Phoenix fire Capt. Victor Rangel said. No one was hurt.

Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said overheated brakes caused the blowout in the plane's right rear landing gear. Mechanics inspected the aircraft at a nearby Southwest maintenance facility Monday.

Airport spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez said the aircraft remained on the airport's north runway while the 127 passengers were taken to a terminal.

Other flights used the airport's two south runways for the 2 1/2 hours the north runway was shut down. No flight delays were reported.

Flight 2511 originated in Austin, Texas.