Tires of JetBlue plane catch fire during landing in California

Passenger Michelle McDuffie said people onboard felt a thud when the plane touched down after a flight from Long Beach, but nobody thought there was an emergency until the crew shouted for everyone to exit on the inflatable slides.

McDuffie saw the burning tires when she was on the ground.

"I thought, Oh I wish I had gotten my bag off. But I was just happy that I wasn't hurt," said McDuffie, 33, of Mission Viejo.

The plane appeared to experience trouble with its brakes, the airline said in a statement.

The 87 passengers were taken to the terminal by buses, said airport spokeswoman Gina Swankie, who couldn't immediately confirm how many tires had blown on the plane.

The nature of the injuries weren't immediately available, but five people were taken to a hospital, Swankie said. An elderly woman was seen being loaded onto a stretcher, complaining of neck pains.