Terrified passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight started "freaking out" as flames erupted and smoke billowed from the belly of the plane as it touched down.
The brakes in the landing gear of Spirit Airlines flight 383 from Tampa, Florida, overheated and ignited upon landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Passengers were petrified by the situation as the plane was towed to the gate for the customers to disembark. But luckily, no one was hurt.
Atlanta Airport wrote on Twitter : "At 9.25 am today, brakes in the landing gear of Spirit Airlines flight 383 from Tampa ignited.
"ATL Fire -Rescue put out the fire and the aircraft was towed to gate D2 where passengers disembarked. There were no injuries reported and operations have not been impacted."
The airline thanked the Atlanta first responders for "immediately meeting the aircraft" and they announced in a statement that the plane would be temporarily removed from service for maintenance.
Footage from inside the plane shows nervous passengers getting up from their seats and looking outside the windows, then noticing continuous smoke coming from beneath the aircraft.
Stewards can then be heard on the tannoy telling passengers to remain calm and to leave the middle aisle clear in case of evacuation.
"If the pilot gives us the command to evacuate we will evacuate, but please remain seated right now and keep the aisle ways clear," the crew announced over the intercom.
"If we do have to evacuate, please just leave your bags. We will let you know, please remain seated."
Scottie Nelms, a passenger on the plane, told FOX 5 that the flight was uneventful until after landing when passengers suddenly heard a "weird noise from the left side of the plane".
He said they saw flames coming from the engine and everyone started "freaking out".
Nelms continued: "Nobody knew what it was until we stopped completely in the middle of the landing strip."
While whole planes catching on fire is quite rare, plane fires on tyres and other parts can occur. On average, they happen every 10 or 11 days in the U.S., according to Consumer Reports.
