Twelve people reportedly sustained minor injuries after an American Airlines flight caught fire shortly after landing at Denver International Airport. The airport reported that the injured individuals were taken to the hospital in a post on the social media platform X.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane, flight 1006, which departed Colorado Springs Airport, was heading to Dallas Fort Worth on Thursday when issues with the engine caused it to divert to Denver.
The crew reported engine vibrations, and the flight safely landed around 5.15 p.m. (11.15 p.m. GMT), per the report. The FAA said that “while taxiing to the gate, an engine on the Boeing 737-800 caught fire.”
After the plane caught fire on the tarmac, occupants had to evacuate from the plane onto the wing, and emergency slides were deployed. News outlets shared photos and videos of people standing on the plane’s wing while the aircraft was surrounded by smoke.
The fire forced 178 people, 172 passengers and 6 crew members, to use the plane’s wing after going through an emergency exit while firefighters extinguished the flames, Hollywood Unlocked reported. They then had to use the slides to get down. Officials confirmed that everyone was safely taken to the terminal.
American Airlines reported that the aircraft had engine-related issues after taxiing to the gate. The plane caught fire around 6 p.m. local time, according to Hollywood Unlocked. Initial reports state that no injuries were reported.
However, following the incident, Denver International Airport posted, “DEN emergency crews responded to an aircraft incident earlier this evening at gate C38. All passengers were safely evacuated from the plane. 12 people were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries. DEN operations are normal. Refer to @AmericanAir for further details.”
A post from American Airlines said, “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,” American said.
The incident is being investigated by the FAA.
