Bridgetown, Barbados: An American Airlines Boeing 737-823, operating Flight AA1284 from Bridgetown to Miami, was forced to make an emergency return to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) shortly after departure on Tuesday morning due to a tyre failure during takeoff, airport authorities confirmed.
The aircraft, carrying 134 passengers, departed BGI at approximately 7:00 a.m. local time. Moments after liftoff, the flight crew reported an abnormal indication related to the aircraft’s landing gear system, which was later confirmed to be linked to a burst tyre.
As a precautionary measure, the pilots entered a holding pattern over the Caribbean Sea to allow ground teams to inspect the runway for debris and prepare emergency services for a possible abnormal landing.
According to Hadley Bourne, Chief Executive Officer of Grantley Adams International Airport, emergency response units, including airport fire services, security personnel, and air traffic controllers, were immediately placed on standby. “The aircraft landed safely and passengers were returned to the terminal. There were no injuries,” Bourne told Barbados Today.
Flight-tracking data showed AA1284 circling offshore for nearly 30 minutes before making a controlled return and landing on the same runway from which it had departed. The aircraft taxied to a remote stand, where passengers disembarked normally.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Barbados said it had received a preliminary notification from airport operations confirming the tyre issue and was awaiting a full technical report from American Airlines.
CAA Director-General Tracey Forde-Bailey said the regulator would review the airline’s maintenance findings as part of standard post-incident procedures. “At this stage, we have received the initial report that the aircraft returned safely following a tyre-related issue. Further technical details will follow once the airline completes its inspection,” she said.
American Airlines has not issued a detailed public technical statement, but airport officials confirmed that the aircraft experienced a tyre failure during takeoff, which triggered cockpit warnings and required an immediate inspection.
.jpg){kind=link}