Passengers evacuate onto wing as American Airlines airplane catches fireplace

Passengers were forced to evacuate via slides when an American Airlines plane caught fire after landing at Denver International Airport on Thursday.

Twelve people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries following the incident, according to a post on the social platform X by Denver International Airport.

The Boeing 737-800, which was headed from the Colorado Springs Airport to Dallas Fort Worth for Flight 1006, landed at Denver about 5:15pm after the crew reported engine vibrations, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

While taxiing to the gate, an engine then caught fire, the FAA added.

Photos and videos posted by news outlets showed passengers standing on a plane’s wing as smoke surrounded the aircraft. The FAA said passengers then exited using the slides.

American Airlines aid in a statement that the flight experienced an engine-related issue after taxiing to the gate.

There was no immediate clarification on exactly when the plane caught fire.

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 said. 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.

Source: independent.co.uk