Plane catches fire at Denver International Airport, passengers escape on wing
Video from travelers at Denver International Airport shows passengers escaping a plane that caught fire on Thursday evening.
Twelve people were taken to hospitals after the American Airlines plane landed and caught fire, prompting slides to be deployed so passengers could evacuate quickly.
All of the people transported to hospitals had minor injuries, according to a post on the social platform X by Denver International Airport.
Flight 1006, which was headed from the Colorado Springs Airport to Dallas Fort Worth, diverted to Denver and landed safely around 5:15 p.m. after the crew reported engine vibrations, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
While taxiing to the gate, an engine on the Boeing 737-800 caught fire, the FAA added.
A spokesperson for the airport told KUSA that passengers were evacuated and air slides were deployed.
A video shared by X user @flynnstone shows dozens of passengers on one of the plane's wing as black smoke rises in the background. Airport staff were under the wing placing steps and ladders to try to reach the passengers and get them to safety.
The 172 passengers and six crew members were taken to the terminal, airline officials 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.
Firefighters put out the blaze by the evening, an airport spokesperson told media outlets.
The FAA said it will investigate.
The country has seen a recent spate of aviation disasters and close calls stoking fears about air travel, though flying remains a very safe mode of transport.
Recent on-the-ground incidents have included a plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport.