Melanie Eversley

USA TODAY

A FedEx plane caught fire early Friday evening after the landing gear failed as it traveled from Memphis International Airport to Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport, causing both pilots to eject, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and a witness

The DC 10 was en route from Memphis International Airport to Florida when the incident took place, according the the Federal Aviation Administration,

Passenger Jeff Foster of Boca Raton, Fla., was waiting for his flight to Detroit to take off when he saw the FedEx plane come in for a landing.

"I watched the plane land and can tell you that it was on fire for at least 15 or 20 seconds prior to landing," Foster said via e-mail. "I don't know if it was on fire for longer than that because I saw the flames as soon as I saw the plane. Once the plane hit the ground the flames increased in intensity by probably five times so perhaps the pilots thought the fire started then."

Foster, who was traveling to see Saturday's football game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, added, "My guess is that maybe the fire burned out one or both of the tires on the landing gear and caused that problem while the plane was still in the air. "

The fire was extinguished and it was unclear whether there were any injuries, according to various news organizations.

The airport was at a groundstop in the wake of the incident, the FAA said.

The agency warned that passengers should expect delays.