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. The plane, a Boeing 737-800, experienced engine vibrations before landing safely around 5:15 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Twelve people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, while all 172 passengers and six crew members were evacuated safely. Passengers described people exiting the plane onto its left wing as an engine beneath the right wing burned and black smoke surrounded the aircraft.
Aviation experts say that engine fires are rare, but crews are trained to deal with them. “A pilot going to work for an airline today could likely fly for 30 years and never experience an engine failure,” said Steven Wallace, a former FAA accident investigations office director.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board looking into the cause of the fire. The plane was built in 2012 with an engine from CFM International.
While some passengers were shaken by the experience, many expressed confidence that air travel remains safe. “We can have confidence that even though these are terrible things that happen and very frightening for people, that for most of us it’s not going to be something that affects our lives,” said Colorado resident Ian Paisley, who was flying with his family from Denver to Hawaii.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-plane-fire-denver-international-d6e53a064718f8ca15c096cec51c9d0d