CNN
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Dozens of passengers were forced to stand on the wings of an American Airlines plane at Denver International Airport after one of the engines set lit Thursday evening and sent thick black smoke into the air.
This was the latest incident during an astonishing aviation disaster and close call, and sparked concern among flyers.
American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 on its way from Colorado Springs to Dallas Fort Worth, was converted to Denver around 5:15pm local time by 172 passengers and six crew members.
“After landing, the engine started a fire while taxiing the gate,” the statement said. The FAA is under investigation.
Shortly before the landing, the plane’s pilot informed the Denver air traffic controller that the flight was experiencing engine problems, but according to liveatc.net’s air traffic control voice, it was not urgent.
“American 10,006, um, is it correct just to make sure it’s not a 1006 emergency?” the controller asked.
“No, I’m cruising more slowly than usual because the engine just has high vibrations,” replied the pilot.
Someone on the radio said, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Mayday! …Engine fire!”
The plane has arrived at Gate C38, a Denver International Airport spokesperson told CNN. The fire had disappeared and all passengers were evacuated, the spokesman said.
Images from the scene show dozens of passengers standing on their wings leaving the aircraft as smoke fills the air. Some passengers evacuated the plane on slides, according to a video released by Reuters.
Twelve passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries, the Denver Fire Department told CNN.
“The crew, the Den team and first responders are grateful for their prompt and decisive action, with the safety of everyone on board as a priority,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Videos taken by a Montana woman inside the airport waiting for a connecting flight show dozens of passengers fleeing with huge clouds of smoke emitted from the plane.
Crystal Leonard, who was flying from Helena, Montana, told CNN he was waiting inside Denver International Airport for a connecting flight to Colorado Springs. That’s when she looks out and sees flames and smoke swallow the plane.
“I was terrifying for those passengers,” Leonard said. “I can’t even imagine how scary they are.”
According to video footage taken by passengers inside the airport, the ground crew appeared to extinguish the fire relatively quickly. The footage shows that when workers put out the fire, the bright orange flames and black smoke disappear, turning into misty white haze.
American Airlines is sending alternative aircraft and crews to Denver to help its customers move to Dallas, the airline said.
The plane’s engine fire on Thursday came just three weeks after the Delta Line flight crashed, causing it to turn upside down on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Before that incident, a fatal crash was carried out in Alaska, Philadelphia and Washington, DC this year, when a US Airlines plane collided into the air with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in January, killing 67 people.
More than 200 people died in air disasters in South Korea and Kazakhstan in December.
This story has been updated with additional information.
