Passengers evacuate after American Airlines plane catches fire on tarmac of Denver airport
After an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Thursday night, an American Airlines carrying 178 people caught fire on the tarmac, forcing passengers to evacuate through the wings of the plane. No serious injury reports.
Steve Hirsky
The fire started after the plane, a Boeing 737-800 that was transferred to the airport due to what the airline said was an engine problem.
American Airlines flight 1006 was departing from Colorado Springs Airport and was taken to Fort Dallas Worth International Airport when “the crew reported engine vibrations.” The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News in a statement.
“When landing and taxiing to the gate, the engine caught fire and passengers evacuated the plane using slideshows,” the FAA said.
Alexandria Cullen 
American said in another statement that the aircraft experienced “engine-related issues” after landing and taxing to the gate.
The airline said all 172 passengers and six crew members were loaded offline and were “relocated to the terminal.”
The plane tangles the parking lot on C38 Avenue in ConcourseC.
Multiple videos posted on social media show people evacuating from the plane by climbing onto the wings. In the chaotic scene, heavy smoke was seen from the plane.
An airport official told CBS News that a fire broke out shortly thereafter.
A family member of a passenger told CBS News Colorado that all luggage was evacuated and passengers were rebooking for flights, which was scheduled to leave Denver and arrive in Dallas at 1 a.m. on Friday, a family member of a passenger told CBS News Colorado.
Robert Sumwalt, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Council, said Thursday that the emergency response indicated that “it is important to have trained pilots, trained crew members, trained airport rescuers and firefighters and air traffic controllers, all of which can work together when such safety outcomes occur.”
Sumwalter said the FAA’s investigation into the incident will likely focus on when and where the fire will begin.
“We have to really understand when this smoke starts, … I’m not sure why all of a sudden, when they get to the gate, the smoke starts filling the passenger compartment. I think that’s going to be part of the investigation.”
Kris van Cleave and
Contributed to this report.
