Panicked passengers climb onto plane wing after engine catches fire

(CLO) Dozens of passengers had to climb onto the plane's wings for an emergency evacuation after one of the engines of an American Airlines flight caught fire at Denver International Airport (USA) on Thursday evening, creating a thick column of black smoke that covered the area.

American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 172 passengers and six crew members, was en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth when it diverted to Denver at around 5:15 p.m. local time.

American Airlines plane catches fire at Denver International Airport. Photo: X/flynnstone

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), before deciding to divert to land, the crew reported "engine vibration". The pilot informed air traffic control that the flight had engine problems but did not consider it an emergency.

When asked by the controller about the extent of the danger, the pilot replied: "We just had a strong vibration in the engine, which made the plane fly slower than normal." However, as soon as the plane touched the ground, the situation escalated rapidly. A voice over the radio shouted: "Emergency, emergency, emergency! The engine is on fire!"

The plane then stopped at gate C38 of the airport, where firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. All passengers were safely evacuated, some using emergency slides, others moving to the wing. Images from the scene showed dozens of people standing on the wing amid thick smoke.

Video of passengers escaping an American Airlines plane as it caught fire at Denver International Airport. (Source: X/flynnstone) X

Denver Fire Department confirmed that 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. A passenger waiting for a connecting flight at the airport recorded the scene of the plane on fire, with many passengers running away in panic.

American Airlines then sent another plane and crew to Denver to take the passengers on to Dallas. The airline also thanked the flight crew, airport staff and emergency services for their quick response.

The engine fire comes just three weeks after a Delta Air Lines plane flipped over and burst into flames on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The aviation industry has seen a series of serious accidents in recent years, including a deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a US military Black Hawk helicopter in January that killed 67 people, as well as air disasters in South Korea and Kazakhstan in December that killed more than 200 people.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN, Fox News)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hanh-khach-hoang-loan-leo-ra-canh-may-bay-sau-khi-dong-co-boc-chay-post338541.html