Passengers on board a plane at Denver airport have been forced to evacuate onto the wing to avoid an engine fire. Footage from the scene shows them huddled together as a fire burns on the opposite side.
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The plane reported engine troubles on its journey to Dallas-Fort Worth. The plane was then diverted to Denver to make an unscheduled landing. As it taxied along the runway, the engine of the Boeing 737 caught fire.
All 172 passengers were evacuated using slides. They can be seen in the footage captured by someone waiting at a gate, standing on the wings. 12 people were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries reported.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire by evening. American Airlines released a statement after the plane fire, thanking their staff. "We thank our crew members, DEN team, and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority."
Investigation Into American Airlines Plane Fire
At present, it is still unclear what caused the engine fire on the American Airlines plane. However, the FAA is launching a full investigation into the cause. The pilots had previously reported some engine vibrations before their unscheduled landing at Denver airport.
Despite flight still being one of the safest ways to travel long distance, there has been a spate of problems in recent months. Only last month, a plane flipped while coming in to land at Toronto airport. This was only a few weeks after the tragedy at the Washington DC airport.
Thankfully, in this case, the plane was brought to the ground safely, with only 12 people reporting minor injuries. The engine caught fire only once the plane had landed. This gave everyone on board time to evacuate.
Some passengers can even be seen with their luggage. This implies a rather timely evacuation, although climbing onto the wing is hardly the most convenient. The investigation into the plane fire will determine what caused the fire. Boeing hardly has the best track record at the moment, and American Airlines will suffer for their mistake.
