A Delta passenger jet caught hearth on the tarmac at Orlando Worldwide Airport on Monday and passengers needed to evacuate through the emergency exit slides, the Federal Aviation Authority mentioned Monday.
Delta Air Traces Flight 1213, certain for Atlanta, was pushing again from the gate for departure at round 11:15 a.m. native time on Monday when an engine caught hearth, the FAA mentioned in an announcement. There have been no preliminary experiences of accidents from the incident.
Passenger Kyle Becker, who was sitting in row 35, mentioned he opened the window as quickly as he heard folks yell “hearth!”
“There was a fireplace on the engine,” Becker informed CBS Information senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. “[It] was slightly scary…simply by no means had occurred to me earlier than. Begin considering, like, OK, what are the subsequent steps. Making an attempt to stay calm.”
Delta mentioned crew members evacuated the cabin when flames had been seen within the tailpipe of one of many aircraft’s two principal engines and hearth crews shortly responded. In accordance with Delta, the aircraft, an Airbus 330, had 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots on board.
Flames are seen from an engine hearth on a Delta aircraft at Orlando Worldwide Airport on April 21, 2025. The airline and FAA say all passengers evacuated safely.
Credit score: Dylan Wallace
“We recognize our prospects’ cooperation and apologize for the expertise,” the airline mentioned in an announcement. “Nothing is extra essential than security and Delta groups will work to get our prospects to their remaining locations as quickly as attainable.”
The FAA mentioned it’ll examine the incident and Delta mentioned upkeep groups will study the plane.
CBS Information transportation and security knowledgeable Robert Sumwalt, the previous chair of the Nationwide Transportation Security Board, mentioned it is essential to behave quick every time there is a hearth reported on an airplane.
“Definitely, should you’ve bought hearth on the airplane and you’ve got the chance to take action, get these passengers off the airplane and get them off shortly,” Sumwalt mentioned.
On this case, Sumwalt mentioned it appears like gas bought into the tailpipe after which it was ignited.
“The Airbus has an computerized begin sequence, and ideally, the ignition happens earlier than the gas is poured into it. It appears like by some means gas bought into the tailpipe after which it was ignited. It is purported to occur the opposite approach round,” Sumwalt defined.
Video captures engine hearth on Delta aircraft at Orlando Worldwide Airport
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The engine hearth marks the most recent aviation scare involving the airline in current months. In February, 21 folks had been injured after a Delta aircraft flipped the wrong way up whereas touchdown amid wintry situations at Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport. All the injured passengers had been later launched from the hospital. In January, a number of folks had been injured after a Delta flight aborted its takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport, forcing about 200 passengers to evacuate the aircraft by means of emergency slides.
Extra from CBS Information
Stephen Smith