Dozens of passengers on an American Airlines flight were forced to evacuate onto the wing of a burning jet at Denver International Airport.
The incident occurred when American Airlines Flight 1006, en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, was diverted to Denver after the crew reported engine vibrations.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 en route to Dallas-Fort Worth from Colorado Springs carrying 172 passengers and six crew aboard, diverted to Denver around 5 :15 p.m. local time after the crew reported “engine vibrations.”
Upon landing, the jet caught fire while taxiing, prompting an emergency evacuation. Passengers used inflatable slides to reach the ground safely, with some huddling on the wing of the plane as flames burned near the bottom of the aircraft.
American Airlines said in a statement, “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.”
Eyewitnesses inside the airport captured dramatic footage of the evacuation, showing passengers walking toward the edge of the wing as thick black smoke filled the air. Ground crews rushed to assist, using ladders to help passengers disembark.
This incident comes amid a series of high-profile aviation accidents this year in Alaska, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, where an American Airlines plane collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in January, killing 67 people.
Just last month, a Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport, injuring 18 people. And in January.
