American Airlines Cancels Flight Minutes After Pushback Due To Suspected Engine Backfire

Published Jul 17, 2026, 3:29 PM EDT Journalist - Aaron joins the Simple Flying team with 14 years of experience in the travel & tourism industry. He has a background in airports and travel consulting for global companies in New Zealand, Europe, and North America. An Avid traveler, Aaron has visited 52+ countries across five continents. Based in Canterbury, New Zealand An American Airlines flight from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was canceled shortly after pushback on Friday, after it experienced an engine backfire. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, has since remained on the apron, according to FlightAware, and passengers were rebooked onto alternative flights. Operating as AA2653, the plane had just pushed back from the gate and was beginning to taxi to the runway when an indicator warning alerted pilots of a potential fire. This prompted the Fresno Fire Department to respond to the incident as the plane returned to the gate. The aircraft had been spotted surrounded by the responding fire crew and other authorities. An Early Morning Flight To Dallas Has Been Canceled Credit: Shutterstock | Simple Flying AA2653 was scheduled to depart at 5:41 AM, operating a nonstop service to American's largest hub. According to Your Central Valley, passengers had safely boarded the aircraft at Fresno, and the plane pushed back just two minutes behind schedule for its flight to Texas. While the pilots were alerted to a potential fire, the fire department did not find any visible fire or smoke coming from the Boeing aircraft, leading to the assumption that the aircraft backfired as it was preparing to taxi. Following the incident, the plane subsequently returned to the gate, and all passengers were deplaned and rebooked onto another service. There have been no reports of injury to anyone onboard, and the plane remains on the apron at Fresno while investigations into what occurred on Friday morning are underway. Flight Details: AA2653 Direct To Dallas Credit: Shutterstock The flight was a scheduled American service from Fresno to Dallas. The airline currently operates a daily service that takes around three and a half hours, usually gate-to-gate, covering a distance of 1,313 miles (2,113 km). AA2653 had an expected arrival time at DFW of 10:59 AM. FAT is the main airport for commercial operations in the San Joaquin Valley and a gateway to three national parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. Passenger flights are offered by several major US airlines, including international service to Mexico (Aeromexico and Volaris). American maintains nonstop flights to Fresno from both DFW and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the largest airline is SkyWest Airlines, which operates around 38% of all flights to the airport (which operate on behalf of United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American, and Alaska Airlines). The largest mainline carrier is American, with 25% of all operations, followed by Southwest Airlines with 17%. 13-Year-Old Aircraft Operating The Flight From Fresno: N920NN Credit: Flickr The aircraft at the center of the incident is that of 13.4-year-old N920NN. According to ch-aviation, the aircraft carries serial number 31165 and was delivered to American on March 14, 2013. Leading up to the incident at Fresno, flight data shows the aircraft has been operating regularly without major disruption. Configured to carry up to 172 passengers across two classes (16 Domestic First, 156 Main Cabin), the aircraft is part of the airline's fleet of more than 1,000 mainline aircraft, of which more than 300 are 737-800s. Aircraft Registration N920NN Serial Number (MSN) 91165 Line Number (LN) 4373 Hex Code ACBF63 Type Boeing 737-823 First Flight Date February 22, 2013 Delivery Date March 14, 2013 Aircraft Age 13.4 years Configuration 16 Domestic First 156 Main Cabin 172 Total Engines 2x CFMI CFM56 7B24 An aircraft backfire can be caused by several factors, including faulty ignition timing, incorrect fuel-air mixtures, leaky valves, or other issues. It occurs when the unburned fuel ignites outside the combustion chamber. In severe cases, this can cause mechanical damage, including cracking the exhaust systems. It remains unclear whether the level of damage (if any) to this aircraft has occurred.