Delta aircraft is evacuated after aborting takeoff at JFK which saw the pilot slam on the brakes

A Delta Airlines plane was forced to abort its take-off from New York’s JFK Airport on Monday night.

The plane was hurtling down the runway when a warning light flashed up in the cockpit with an airspeed indication issue, forcing the pilot to abandon the takeoff.

The aircraft had already built up a significant speed as it prepared to lift into the air meaning the pilot had to apply the brakes hard.

The wheels began to over heat and set on fire as a result of the sudden stop. 

Takeoff was aborted after a warning light flashed up in the cockpit. The brakes then overheated and the wheels had to be doused in foam to put out the fire

Firefighters rushed to douse the wheels of the Boeing 767 aircraft in foam after the landing gear caught fire.

Delta flight 420 was supposed to be travelling on a 10-hour flight to Accra, Ghana. 

However, the high speed meant the pilot had to slam on the brakes which then caused the brakes to overheat creating the flames. 

The plane left the runway while emergency responders attended to the fire

The small blaze was extinguished on the taxiway and no one was injured, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

In total, 258 people — 250 passengers, 8 crew members — were evacuated via mobile stairs.

A statement from Delta says the flight aborted a takeoff following an airspeed warning indication and while it was taxiing back to the gate the brakes overheated 

Passengers were taken off the aircraft via mobile stairs