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'Terrifying and exhausting' - passengers describe escape from burning plane

'Terrifying and exhausting' - passengers describe escape from burning plane

Yahoo14-03-2025

"Nerve-wrecking, terrifying and horrific."
That is how one witness described her experience getting off an American Airlines flight that caught fire after it was forced to make an emergency landing in Colorado.
Some of the 172 passengers travelling on the flight bound for Dallas were seen standing on the plane's wing after it touched down in Denver, with large plumes of smoke encircling around them.
Everyone on board, including six crew members, made it out of the plane alive, with 12 passengers treated at hospital for minor injuries, according to airport officials.
One of those passengers, Michele Woods, told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, how everything about the flight seemed normal at take off.
It was not until they were cruising in the air that she noticed a loud noise reverberating from one of the plane's engines.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later confirmed the plane diverted to Denver at around 17:15 local time (23:15 GMT) after the crew reported "engine vibrations".
But even when the plane landed, passengers soon realised they were still far from safety.
"Everything was fine but then there was smoke filling the cabin," said Ms Woods, who was returning home after attending a trade show in Colorado.
Seated at the front of the plane, she explained how she was one of the few in a position where they were able to walk off the plane once it had touched down.
Other passengers, as now viral images of huddled people standing on the wing of a smoking plane show, did not have as straightforward an escape.
Ingrid Hibbit, who was travelling on flight 1006 with her husband and daughter, was one of the unfortunate few forced out onto the wing before she could reconnect with her family on the ground.
"[You could see] flames from the window and the windows [were] kind of melting," Ms Hibbit told CBS. Dismounting from the plane proved to be a difficult task - not helped, she pointed out, by being dressed in Birkenstock sandals.
"I was like shaking, I was not stable," she admitted.
Adding to her already fever-pitch anxieties was the fact neither she, nor any member of her family, were seated in the same section of the plane. They could communicate only through text messages.
"I was hoping everything was okay, but we really didn't know for sure," she said, adding that despite the ordeal lasting only 10 minutes, "it was a very long 10 minutes".
"It was a really great feeling to see that everyone was okay."
She and her family finally touched down at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Friday morning, along with several of the other passengers.
Relief, she said, had swept through the group, particularly after an "exhausting" episode that had overshadowed the start of their family holiday.
"If this would've happened in the air, I don't think we would be telling this story at all, because who knows what that would've been like," she said. "I'm grateful that everyone survived."
Passengers evacuate on to wing of burning American Airlines jet
Hundreds fired at aviation safety agency, union says

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'I met Race Across the World's stars and here are their biggest life lessons'
'I met Race Across the World's stars and here are their biggest life lessons'

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

'I met Race Across the World's stars and here are their biggest life lessons'

I've been lucky enough to meet all the Race Across the World 2025 contestants taking part in the BBC show this year. They shared what they learned about themselves, what they learned about each other and their biggest life lessons they have taken away from filming the BBC show. On Wednesday, one team will be crowned the winner in Race Across the World's final and take home the £20,000 prize money, but the show is as much about the personal journeys as it is the physical one. Race's youngest ever contestants Sioned, 19, and Fin, 18, have taken a lot away from the BBC show. Away from her home in the small town in Wales, Sioned's confidence has blossomed. Sioned told Yahoo UK: "For me, maybe not so much life lesson but [a] skill that's important is, well, not even skill, just confidence. So it's just like I've come back with so much more confidence and I feel like it just adds a glow to me. "I feel like I'm able to do so many more things and I can speak just more confidently. 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It was a feeling if one of us was having a bad five minutes, walk away, give them that time. Give them chill time and then we start again. "And I think that was something we did quite well. And it helps keep you sane as well, doesn't it, and calm down a little bit." Mother and son duo Caroline, 61, and Tom, 21, also discovered the kindness of strangers. Tom told Yahoo UK: "You put so much faith in into the strangers that you meet but everyone, the majority of people you meet go above and beyond to try and help you any way they can. "And they simply do it just because they can, not because there's something in it for them, but just because they want to, which is really sweet. And it gives you a really good understanding of the country that you're in because I think the people make the country and that was really nice. 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Race Across the World stars reunite including eliminated Yin and Gaz
Race Across the World stars reunite including eliminated Yin and Gaz

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Race Across the World stars reunite including eliminated Yin and Gaz

Race Across the World's cast are reunited in full for the first time since the BBC show ended. Fun first look pictures reveal the friends enjoying a catch up six months after undertaking the race of a lifetime. Race Across the World was filmed over eight weeks from October until December last year, with the winners of £20,000 kept secret. It has played out on our screens over eight one-hour episodes. Six months later a one-hour catch up was filmed, including behind-the-scenes insights and unseen moments from the BBC show. Race Across the World: The Reunion will air on BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday, 18 June. It captures the first time the five teams — including eliminated pair Yin and Gaz — have had the chance to get together again. The eliminated couple find out how the rest of the teams — sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, mother and son Caroline and Tom, brothers Melvyn and Brian as well as couple Fin and Sioned — have done in the race for the first time. The Reunion is a celebration of their Race Across the World journeys where all the contestants have the chance to reflect on the race. They covered ground across China before the final four teams went onto travel into Nepal and India. There is plenty for the stars to catch up on. Regardless of the £20,000 prize money, the race has changed the lives of the stars. Yin tells Yahoo UK she has had the chance to move out of Gaz's house. Sioned and Fin tell Yahoo UK that they had the chance to travel to Australia while Elizabeth and Letitia say they have been to Kenya. Brian and Melvyn tell Yahoo UK that they talk everyday now. Caroline and Tom tell Yahoo UK of their plans to do a mini Race Across the World in Kazakhstan with only the rucksacks on their backs. In the reunion show, the stars look back on their journeys and how they were forced out of their comfort zones. They reminisce too over the beauty of the landscapes they witnessed as well as the harsh realities of being on the road. Race Across the World: The Reunion will allow viewers one last intimate look at the epic journey and how it's impacted their lives as well as their relationships. From behind the scenes, Brian revealed how all the teams speak on their Whatsapp group. Before having the chance to film the reunion, he told Yahoo UK: "Yeah [we have a] big WhatsApp group, we speak daily. We are trying to meet up if we can but it's quite difficult to get everybody together. It is tough." In a stark contrast to the BBC show being filmed across Asia's three most diverse nations, the contestants made the journey to London to film the reunion. It's still a big journey for some of the contestants like Fin and Sioned who have to travel from Nantgaredig, a small village in Carmarthenshire, Wales to the capital. That's a six-hour train journey, although nowhere near as tough as some of the travels they faced on Race Across the World. Of course, for the reunion, the teams left their heavy rucksacks at home (and Melvyn's wheelie case too). The contestants all met at a fancy hotel, not unlike some of the impressive checkpoint hotels they visit along the way on Race Across the World. The table was set for their visit and decorated with beautiful blooms in white, apricot and fuchsia pink. Race Across the World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

The Best Men's Sandals for Walking, Beaching, & Brunching
The Best Men's Sandals for Walking, Beaching, & Brunching

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time10 hours ago

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The Best Men's Sandals for Walking, Beaching, & Brunching

When it comes to summer travel (or, really, any travel where there's warm weather), a sturdy, comfortable pair of men's walking sandals are a must. Whether your trip involves non-stop sightseeing in big-time cities like Madrid or Bangkok, or a steamy week of active adventure in Costa Rica or Maui, a breezy pair of sandals that you can trust is going to be among the most important items you'll pack. A good pair of men's walking sandals doesn't just offer support, they also allow your feet to breathe—and both are needed for maximum comfort. But not all sandals are created equal: Some are made for a day by the water, while others are better suited for a few hours visiting Paris's best boutiques. Here are 20 of the best men's sandals on the market, no matter where your next vacation takes you. Top picks: Sandals under $100 Teva Original Universal sandal $60 Teva $55 $51 Amazon A classic! 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Todd Snyder Tuscan leather woven sandal $268 Todd Snyder A decidedly more dressed-up slide, these woven leather sandals are the quintessential footwear for a seaside vacation. Maybe it's the Amalfi Coast, maybe Comporta, maybe it's Byron Bay. The eye-catching woven detail will definitely make your look, but the overall vibe of the sandals are casual enough that they can really go with any outfit for any occasion, except ones that involve getting wet. Of note, these sandals are sadly not water-friendly. Octobre Editions Lonny mule $245 Octobre Editions $245 Sezane A classic suede style with the double buckled straps, these slip-on sandals feature a soft leather insole over a slender-yet-grippy rubber outsole. These are perfect wear-everywhere summer sandals. Rock them with pants, with shorts, for a day museum visits, or while lounging by the pool. Bobbies Barry sandal $255 Bobbies Squint and these might remind you of Hermes' Chypre sandals, but at a quarter of the price. 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