On Thursday, March 13, a routine flight turned into a nightmare when an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 suddenly ignited after touching down at Denver International Airport.
Nearly 200 passengers were forced to evacuate, with some escaping onto the aircraft’s wing while thick plumes of black smoke filled the air.
As chaos unfolded, firefighters quickly arrived on the scene, spraying the burning engine with water while passengers rushed to exit the aircraft.
The flight had departed from Colorado Springs at 4:52 PM local time, headed for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
However, the journey was cut short when the crew reported ‘engine vibrations,’ prompting an emergency diversion to Denver, where the situation rapidly escalated upon landing.
Initially, the pilot had communicated with air traffic control, reporting engine trouble but downplaying the severity of the situation, reports the Independent.
The pilot responded: “Nah, we just have a high engine vibration so we are cruising slower than normal.”
However, just moments later, mayday calls flooded the airwaves as personnel reported the emergency engine fire.
Gabrielle Hibbitts, one of the passengers on board, described the horrifying experience to CBS News Colorado.
She recalled: “As soon as the plane landed, we smelled this weird burning plastic smell and then everybody started screaming and saying there was a fire.”
She stated: “I’m really grateful that this happened on the ground because if this happened in the air, I don’t think I’d be standing here telling you the story.”
Emergency responders confirmed that 12 passengers sustained minor injuries and were transported to a hospital for treatment.
The FAA has since launched an investigation to determine the cause of the engine fire, as per NY Post.
The incident adds to growing concerns over recent aviation emergencies in the U.S., with multiple crashes and near-misses raising questions about airline safety.
Shortly after, a medical transport plane crashed into a residential area in Philadelphia, tragically killing six people, including a child patient and a bystander on the ground.
Another tragic accident followed in Alaska, where a commuter plane went down, taking the lives of 10 passengers.