DENVER (AP) — A fire on an American Airlines plane after it diverted mid-flight and landed at Denver International Airport sent passengers fleeing onto a wing…
A fire on an American Airlines plane after it diverted mid-flight and landed at Denver International Airport sent passengers fleeing onto a wing in a fraught evacuation amid billowing clouds of smoke. Airport officials said 12 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
The country has seen a recent spate of aviation disasters and close calls stoking fears about air travel, though flying remains a safe way to travel. Recent on-the-ground accidents included a plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport.
On Thursday, Flight 1006 was headed from the Colorado Springs to Dallas Fort Worth but diverted to Denver after the crew reported engine vibrations and landed safely around 5:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. An engine on the Boeing 737-800 caught fire as it taxied to the gate, the FAA added.
Photos and videos posted by news outlets showed passengers exiting the plane onto its left wing, as an engine beneath the right wing burned and black smoke surrounded the aircraft. They lined up and got to the ground using slides and ladders brought over by groundcrews, according to the FAA, videos and passenger interviews.
American said in a statement that the flight experienced an engine-related issue after taxiing to the gate. There was no immediate clarification on exactly when the plane caught fire.
All 172 passengers and six crew members were safely evacuated, authorities said. American Airlines referred questions about the 12 people taken to hospitals to local officials.
