United Airlines Flight 455 aborted its takeoff at Chicago O’Hare on Thursday afternoon, August 13, 2026, after the Boeing 737-900 blew one or more tires on the runway.
If you were booked ORD to Phoenix on that aircraft, expect a rebook onto a replacement plane later Thursday rather than a normal gate walk. Passengers left the jet on runway stairs and rode buses back to the terminal after the abort.
- Flight: United 455, Chicago O’Hare to Phoenix, Boeing 737-900.
- When: About 1:45 p.m. Thursday, August 13, 2026.
- What happened: Takeoff aborted after blown tire(s); aircraft stopped on the runway.
- Passengers: Deplaned via stairs on the runway, then bused to the terminal. No injuries reported in initial local coverage.
- Next: United arranging another aircraft to Phoenix; FAA investigating.
What the FAA and local reports established
According to ABC News reporting on FAA and air traffic control accounts, United Flight 455 was rolling for takeoff at O’Hare when the crew aborted after blown tires. Passengers deplaned the Boeing 737-900 on the runway by stairs and were bused to the terminal after the flight safely aborted takeoff, the FAA said.
CBS Chicago placed the event around 1:45 p.m. and identified the route as Chicago to Phoenix. ATC audio cited in network coverage included a pilot remark about chunks of tire on the runway. United said it would arrange another aircraft to continue the Phoenix trip later Thursday. The FAA is investigating.
Confirmed fact is the named flight, the abort at O’Hare, the tire failure during the takeoff roll, the runway deplane, and the carrier plan for a replacement aircraft. Interpretation is that Phoenix-bound passengers lose the original departure bank and should watch United rebook messages rather than waiting at the original gate without a new aircraft assignment. Still unknown in public reporting is the exact tire count on the aircraft, the final cause of the failure, and the exact replacement flight number until United posts it.
What travelers on Flight 455 should do now
Open the United app and email for the rebooked Phoenix flight before you leave the airport for a hotel. A runway abort is not the same as a cancelled trip until the airline says the day is over. United’s public line in initial coverage was to put the group on another aircraft later Thursday.
If you hold a tight Phoenix connection after this aircraft, assume the original bank is broken. Call the downstream hotel or meeting only after you have a new arrival estimate from United. Do not invent a free hotel night from this notice alone; use United’s disruption tools and your credit-card travel protections if the new arrival slips past your check-in window.
Carry-on bags that never made it into the cargo hold stay with you on the bus ride back. Checked bags on a runway abort usually remain on the original jet until United moves them to the replacement aircraft or returns them in the terminal. Ask a United agent which path your bag is on before you leave the airport for a long meal. A missing bag after a runway event is a different fix than a routine delayed bag on a completed flight.
If you used Basic Economy rules on this booking, rebooking still follows United’s disruption process for a safety abort rather than a free schedule change you requested. Keep screenshots of the original Flight 455 boarding pass and the new assignment. That paper trail matters if you later claim meal costs or a hotel night under United care rules or a card benefit.
Family members meeting Flight 455 at Phoenix should watch the United tracker for a new flight number rather than the original 455 block. Airport display boards can lag a runway abort that never left Chicago.
Deep Arrival’s United Airlines guide still covers baggage, boarding groups, and Basic Economy rules for ordinary days. Tonight’s decision is the Flight 455 rebook path and the FAA investigation, not a fare rule change.
Why a tire abort is different from a midair diversion
An aborted takeoff keeps the aircraft on the ground at the origin. That means passengers are still in Chicago with full airport options, not stranded at an alternate field after a diversion. The cost is time: runway clear, tire inspection, new aircraft assignment, and a later Phoenix arrival.
It also means the runway and taxi system around the abort can slow other O’Hare departures while crews clear debris and move the jet. Travelers on nearby United banks out of ORD Thursday evening should recheck departure boards even if they were not on 455.
Photographers and social clips of emergency vehicles are not a complete operational picture. Fire and rescue often stage for any runway abort even when no fire is present. Use FAA language and United statements for the traveler decision, and leave the cause analysis to the investigation. A tire failure on takeoff roll can have multiple technical paths; none of them change the immediate rebook job for people already off the jet.
If you are flying into O’Hare later Thursday and connecting on United, build an extra buffer only when your inbound is already tight. Do not cancel a workable domestic connection solely because 455 made local news. Watch your own flight first, then watch ORD delay boards for residual runway recovery.
Do not treat social video of emergency vehicles as proof of fire, injury, or evacuation slides unless an official source states those facts. Initial network and local reporting describe stairs, buses, and a safe abort. Stick to that boundary until the FAA or United publishes more.
Phoenix arrivals later Thursday can still face ordinary evening bank congestion at PHX even if the replacement aircraft departs cleanly. Build a buffer into ground transport at Phoenix rather than booking a tight last-ride transfer off the original schedule.
| If you… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Were on United 455 ORD-PHX | Use the United app for the replacement aircraft and new departure time before leaving ORD. |
| Hold a Phoenix hotel tonight | Update the hotel only after United posts a new arrival estimate. |
| Connect beyond Phoenix | Assume the original connection bank is broken until rebooked. |
| Fly other United banks from ORD tonight | Recheck boards for knock-on delays while the runway event clears. |
| Meet passengers in Phoenix | Track the new flight number, not only the original 455 label. |
- Replacement flight: United’s posted aircraft and new ORD departure time for the Phoenix group.
- FAA update: Any public investigation note beyond the initial tire-abort summary.
- ORD ops: Whether evening banks absorb residual runway delay.
- Passenger care: Meal, hotel, or overnight options if the replacement slips past late evening.
- Maintenance: Whether United grounds the original 737-900 beyond this trip.
The useful move is narrow. Confirm you are rebooked, confirm the new Phoenix arrival, then rebuild only the pieces that depend on that clock. A runway abort is loud and stressful, but the traveler decision is still a rebook and a later departure until the airline says otherwise.
What happened to United Flight 455 at O’Hare?
The flight aborted takeoff Thursday afternoon after the Boeing 737-900 blew tire(s) during the takeoff roll. Passengers deplaned on the runway and returned to the terminal by bus.
Was anyone hurt?
Initial ABC, CBS Chicago, and local reports describe a safe abort and runway deplane without reporting injuries. Rely on official updates if that changes.
Will passengers still get to Phoenix today?
United said it would arrange another aircraft to continue to Phoenix later Thursday. Check the United app for the actual rebooked flight.
Who is investigating?
The FAA is investigating the tire failure and abort, according to network reporting that cites the agency.
Should other O’Hare passengers worry?
Only as far as possible knock-on delays while the runway is cleared. Recheck your own departure board rather than assuming every United flight is cancelled.
