One of the engines on a Delta Airlines plane caught fire on the runway as almost 300 passengers waited for takeoff. The incident prompted a complete evacuation of the aircraft.
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According to a report by the New York Post, the incident occurred on Monday at the Orlando International Airport at around 11:15 AM. Flight 1213 was pushing back from the gate when the engine erupted in flames. The aircraft was about to fly to Atlanta.
An eyewitness, @dylangwall on X, filmed the blaze from a window at the terminal. An engine on the plane's right wing catches fire, billowing black smoke, although the flames seem to dissipate quickly. The same witness recorded passengers exiting the Airbus A330 using emergency slides while staff ferried them off the runway. An ambulance quickly arrived on the scene. The Delta Airlines flight had 282 passengers on board, with 10 flight attendants and two pilots.
Per a report by NBC News, Delta confirmed that the fire did not cause any injuries, and Emergency Services contained the flames without issue.
The Pilot Acted Quickly To Shut Off Fuel To The Delta Airlines Plane
A reporter for NBC explained that the black smoke from engine two was likely caused by kerosene burning away. The pilot promptly shut down fuel to the flaming engine, causing the fire to cease. Delta Airlines reportedly told NBC that they rebooked all passengers onto another flight en route to Atlanta.
The Airline has not revealed an official reason why the engine caught fire. However, the news outlet theorizes that there may have been residual fuel in the engine, perhaps after a maintenance check. They stress that what happened 'is not normal,' but pilots are trained to deal with engine-bound fires.
Per the New York Post, Delta released a statement saying, "Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft's two engines were observed. We appreciate our customers' cooperation and apologize for the experience. Nothing is more important than safety, and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible."
