Lawsuit filed after American Airlines airplane fire at Denver International Airport

CBS News

02-04-2025

According to a new lawsuit, it claims American Airlines was negligent during the
fire of Flight 1006
at Denver International Airport for "failing to orderly evacuate" and "failing to timely request emergency assistance."
On March 13, videos shared on social media captured the chaotic evacuation of the American Airlines airplane fire at DIA.
"I was screaming, 'Get the doors open, the doors,'" explained Terri Prager, a former flight attendant, in an interview with CBS News Colorado.
Once in the terminal, passengers immediately raised concerns.
"We did not see any crew," traveler Magdy Abdeltay from London told CBS News.
"American 1006, just to verify, you're not an emergency still, correct?" air traffic control was recorded calling out the day of the fire.
The lawsuit also claims extreme and outrageous conduct by the airline for "choosing to taxi with improperly functioning engine."
"Why not have trucks follow you in? Why not say to DIA, 'We are coming in with a vibration, just want to have ARFF follow us in. Maybe can we taxi clear? Maybe don't go to a gate right where there are many other airplanes,'" attorney Joseph LoRusso said.
LoRusso, the director of Aviation for Ramos Law, and Jessica McBryant, director of complex litigation, are two of the attorneys behind the complaint.
Their client was forced to use the emergency slide and inhaled both smoke and fire retardant.
"They suffered a range of damages from both physical and emotional and mental," McBryant said.
McBryant says they have several other clients from Flight 1006, all who have lost trust in the airline.
"What we are doing with these lawsuits is just to make sure that we can try and make things safer for people moving forward," McBryant said.