A DHL-liveried Boeing 737-800 freighter suffered an apparent brake malfunction while landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) late on 26 August 2026, blowing four tires and sending flames from its main landing gear as it rolled out on Runway 25L.
The aircraft was operated by Kalitta Charters II as Flight K5-1814 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Los Angeles. The jet, a Boeing 737-800BDSF registered N326FL, touched down on Runway 25L at around 23:00 local time.
Video captured by Airline Videos shows the freighter touching down normally before white smoke begins pouring from the main landing gear. Seconds later, several loud pops can be heard as flashes and flames erupt beneath the aircraft. The jet continues its landing roll with fire and sparks trailing from the main gear before slowing to a stop on the runway, with airport fire crews arriving shortly afterwards to spray the landing gear area.
Air traffic control audio accompanying the video captures the crew reporting a possible brake problem. According to that recording, one of the pilots told the tower that he did not know whether a tire had blown, but that it felt as though the brakes had locked up. Other aircraft were kept clear of Runway 25L while emergency crews responded.
The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicated the aircraft's brakes locked during landing and that four tires blew. The agency is investigating the incident.
DHL described the event as an apparent brake system issue that resulted in the brakes overheating. There were no injuries and all crew members are safe, the company said in a statement, adding that Kalitta Charters II was working to move the disabled aircraft so that it could undergo further inspection and assessment.
The 737 remained on Runway 25L the following morning as crews worked around the aircraft, keeping the runway closed. For an airport of LAX's size, losing one of its four parallel runways for an extended period is operationally significant: 25L is part of the airport's south complex, and a disabled freighter sitting on the pavement forces arrivals and departures to be reshuffled across the remaining runways until the aircraft can be towed clear.
N326FL is a Boeing 737-800 that was manufactured in 2001, according to FAA registration records. The aircraft was converted from passenger to freighter configuration in December 2022, joining the growing population of BDSF-converted narrowbodies that now form the backbone of express and feeder cargo networks in North America.
That conversion pedigree matters here. Converted freighters typically operate at higher weights and with more demanding daily cycle counts than the passenger aircraft they were built as, which places sustained thermal load on brakes and tires. Blown tires following a suspected brake lock-up are a recognised failure mode: once a wheel stops rotating on a moving aircraft, the tire abrades through in seconds, and the resulting debris and heat can ignite hydraulic fluid or rubber.
Modern narrowbodies are fitted with fusible plugs designed to deflate tires in a controlled way when brake temperatures climb too high, precisely to avoid an explosive burst. The investigation will likely examine whether those protections functioned as intended and what caused the brakes to lock in the first place.
With no injuries reported and the crew safe, the practical consequences are confined to the aircraft and to LAX's runway availability. The FAA's investigation is ongoing.
Sources: AeroTime. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Marco Bianchi.
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