Airplane Passengers Evacuate Plane After It Catches Fire in Denver, Video

American Airlines passengers were forced to evacuate a plane on the Denver International Airport tarmac after a plane's landing gear caught fire ... and, the chaotic scene was caught on video.

American Airlines Flight 3023 -- a Boeing 737 MAX 8 -- was set to go from DIA to Miami around 1 PM Mountain time today ... when a problem occurred with the plane while it was still on the runway.

Video going around social media shows the evacuation ... people sliding down the inflatable slide onto the ground -- some gracefully, some less so.

A fire seems to have engulfed one of the plane's tires ... and smoke is billowing to the air in the clip which only adds to the distressing environment.

One man -- holding both his child and his suitcase -- tries to run after getting off the plane ... but, ends up falling, and they both hit the ground hard.

Airport officials says all 179 individuals onboard -- 173 passengers, 6 crew members -- safely got off the plane. Five people were treated at the scene, and only one was taken to the hospital for treatment.

CBS News reports the FAA said the issue was caused by a "possible landing gear incident." The FAA is investigating the cause of the fire. We've reached out to American Airlines ... so far, no word back.