Dozens of passengers were forced to stand on the wing of an American Airlines plane at Denver International Airport as they evacuated the aircraft after one of its engines caught fire Thursday evening, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.
This is the latest incident in a spate of alarming aviation disasters and close calls which have stoked worries among flyers.
American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 en route to Dallas-Fort Worth from Colorado Springs with 172 passengers and six crew aboard, diverted to Denver around 5:15 p.m. local time, after the crew reported “engine vibrations,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
“After landing and while taxiing to the gate an engine caught fire,” the statement said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
Shortly before landing, the plane’s pilot notified air traffic controllers in Denver that the flight was experiencing engine issues, but it was not an emergency, according to air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net.
“American 10,006, uh, 1006 just to verify not an emergency still, correct?” the controller asked.
“Nah, we just have a high engine vibration so we are cruising slower than normal,” the pilot responded.
The situation appeared to quickly escalate several minutes later, after the plane landed, when someone on the radio yelled “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Mayday! … engine fire!”
The plane arrived at gate C38, a Denver International Airport spokesperson told CNN. The fire was extinguished and all passengers were evacuated, the spokesperson said.
Images from the scene show dozens of passengers exiting the aircraft and standing on the wing as smoke filled the air. Some passengers evacuated the plane on a slide, video published by Reuters showed.
Twelve passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Denver Fire Department told CNN. All have been released, according to American Airlines.
“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 Airlines said in a statement.