An American Airlines flight burst into flames midair, forcing a chaotic emergency landing that left 12 passengers with varying degrees of injuries.
The incident led the Colorado Springs-bound plane to divert and issue a Mayday call before making an unscheduled landing at the Denver International airport, just 30 minutes into its flight.
As gathered, passengers onboard the blazing flight, evacuated the plane via wing and emergency slide, fleeing through thick smoke with flames closing in behind them.
Videos gathered at the scene show flames coming from the plane and passengers evacuating the aircraft by climbing onto a wing.
A replacement aircraft and crew was provided to transport the remaining passengers to Dallas hours after the incident.
Confirming the incident on Friday, American Airlines disclosed that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 and experienced an “engine-related issue” leading to the diversion.
“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,” it said in a statement.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, “American Airlines Flight 1006 diverted to and landed safely at Denver International Airport around 5.15 pm local time after the crew reported engine vibrations. After landing and while taxiing to the gate an engine caught fire and passengers evacuated the aircraft using the slides.”
The FAA said it will investigate the incident, which comes amid a series of aviation issues since the 29 January midair collision of a commercial flight and a military helicopter on the outskirts of Washington, DC that killed 67 people as both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River.
Other recent incidents involving US flights include a Delta Air Lines plane that crashed and flipped over while landing in Toronto last month, a near miss in late February between a Southwest Airlines flight and a private jet in Chicago.
