175 passengers evacuated as American Airlines plane catches fire
Eyewitness video from Denver International Airport captured passengers evacuating American Airlines flight AA1006 after the plane caught fire on the tarmac. The flight originating from Colorado Springs Airport was diverted for an emergency landing after its crew reported experiencing vibrations from an engine. After landing and taxiing to a gate, the engine burst into flames.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Is air travel safe? Deadly Air India plane crash renews concerns after a string of other crashes
At least 240 people were killed when an Air India plane crashed Thursday into a medical school shortly after takeoff. It was the latest in a long list of aviation disasters this year. One passenger survived the crash but everyone else aboard the Boeing 787 was killed. More people died on the ground after the plane crashed and generated a large fireball. Black smoke billowed from the site where the plane crashed and burst into flames near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city of more than 5 million and the capital of Gujarat. All the aircraft crashes and near misses have fueled many worries about flying. The Indian crash was far worse than the midair collision that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C., in January in the first major fatal crash on U.S. soil since 2009. Other recent incidents include an airliner clipping another in February while taxiing at the Seattle airport. In March, an American Airlines plane caught fire after landing in Denver, sending 12 people to the hospital. A sightseeing helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey in April, killing six people. Federal officials have tried to reassure travelers that flying is the safest mode of transportation, and statistics support that. But the cascade of headlines about all the things that have gone wrong is drawing increasing attention. Here is a look at some of the recent tragedies and mishaps: Recent fatal crashes — Two different small planes crashed near San Diego over the past month. Six people died when a private jet crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in the midst of heavy fog. The runway lights weren't working at that airport. Six more people died earlier this week when a small plane crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off in San Diego. — The New York helicopter that crashed on April 10 departed a downtown heliport. The flight lasted less than 18 minutes. Radar data shows the helicopter flew north along the Manhattan skyline, then south toward the Statue of Liberty. The victims in this crash included a family from Spain who was celebrating the ninth birthday of one of their children. — Three people were killed and one was injured when a small plane crashed April 11 in Boca Raton, Florida, near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto railroad tracks. — Two small planes collided midair near an Arizona airport in February, killing two people who were on one of the aircraft. Following the collision, one plane landed uneventfully, but the other hit the ground near a runway and caught fire. The crash happened at Marana Regional Airport near Tucson. — A small commuter plane crashed in Alaska in early February, killing all 10 people on board. The crash was one of the deadliest in the state in 25 years. Radar data indicated that the plane rapidly lost elevation and speed. The U.S. Coast Guard was unaware of any distress signals from the aircraft. — A medical transport plane that had just taken off plummeted into a Philadelphia neighborhood in late January, killing all six people on board and two people on the ground. About two dozen people were also hurt. The National Transportation Safety Board said its cockpit voice recorder likely hadn't been functioning for years. The crew made no distress calls to air traffic control. — The collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter above the nation's capital killed everyone aboard both aircraft in late January. It was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground. — A jetliner operated by Jeju Air skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames in late December in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people aboard were killed in one of that country's worst aviation disasters. Incidents with injuries — The American Airlines plane that caught fire at Denver International Airport in March had been diverted there because the crew reported engine vibrations after taking off in Colorado Springs. While taxiing to the gate, an engine caught fire, prompting slides to be deployed so passengers could evacuate quickly. The people taken to hospitals had minor injuries. The NTSB found a fuel leak and several improperly installed parts in the engine. — A single-engine plane carrying five people crashed and burst into flames that same month in the parking lot of a retirement community near a small airport near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Everyone on board survived. Three people were taken to an area burn center. — A Delta Air Lines jet flipped over while landing at Toronto's Pearson Airport in February. All 80 people on board survived, but some people received minor injuries. Witnesses and video from the scene showed the plane landing so hard that its right wing was sheared off. Investigators said when trying to determine the cause, they would consider the weather conditions and the possibility of human error. Close calls — Last month, two commercial planes had to abort their landings at Reagan National Airport near Washington because of an Army Black Hawk helicopter flying near the Pentagon. The Army suspended all its helicopter flights in the area after this incident. It was a Black Hawk priority air transport from the same unit known as the PAT25 that collided with the passenger jet in midair in January. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. — In April, on the same day as the fatal New York helicopter crash, a wing tip of an American Airlines plane struck another plane from the same airline on a taxiway of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. There were no reported injuries. Multiple members of Congress were aboard one of the flights. — A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at a busy New Jersey airport in March after a bird strike caused an engine fire that could be seen in the morning sky. The plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. There were no reported injuries. — Pilots on a Southwest Airlines flight about to land at Chicago's Midway Airport were forced to climb back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway in late February. Video showed the plane approaching the runway before it abruptly pulled up as a business jet taxied onto the runway without authorization, federal officials said. — In early February, a Japan Airlines plane was taxiing on the tarmac of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when it apparently clipped the tail of a parked Delta plane. There were no injuries reported. — In early January, passengers panicked when a man aboard a JetBlue plane taxiing for takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport opened an exit door over a wing, triggering an emergency slide to inflate. Other passengers quickly restrained the man and the plane didn't take off.
Toronto Sun
06-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
American Airlines plane that caught fire had part placed backward
Published Jun 05, 2025 • 2 minute read An American Airlines aircraft on the production floor. Photo by Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg An American Airlines Group Inc. plane engine that caught fire in March had a fractured fan blade and another component installed backward, federal safety investigators said Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has been investigating the March 13 incident, said in the preliminary report that the fan blade was damaged and another component attached to a part used to control airflow inside the engine was loose — and installed in the wrong direction. Both were on the right engine of the two-engine craft, the agency said. The engines were built by CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Safran SA of France. American said it was cooperating with the NTSB investigation. GE declined to comment and Safran didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. The NTSB report did not specify when the part, the lockwire of a fuel fitting on the variable stator vane, was installed or how recently it had been inspected prior to the March incident. No serious injuries were incurred, but 12 passengers sustained 'minor' injuries, it said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. American Airlines Flight 1006, which was scheduled to fly from Colorado Springs to Dallas, was diverted to Denver International Airport after the flight crew reported engine vibrations. The fire occurred after the plane had landed and both engines were shut down, according to the NTSB. The agency said video footage showed a trail of fluid leaking from under the right engine as the airplane taxied to its gate. 'Soon after arriving at the gate, flight attendants heard passengers yelling 'fire' and 'smoke' and saw smoke start to the fill the cabin,' according to the report. Passengers were evacuated using one of the aircraft's slides and exits over the wings. A second slide got jammed in the door and wasn't able to be used, the NTSB said. Videos shared on social media after the incident showed people standing on the wings of the plane as emergency crews approached with ladders. There were six crew members and 172 passengers aboard the flight, the agency said. — With assistance from Mary Schlangenstein. World Olympics Toronto & GTA Columnists Music
Winnipeg Free Press
05-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
NTSB finds a fuel leak and improperly installed parts in the engine of an airliner that caught fire
A fuel leak and several improperly installed parts were found inside the engine of an American Airlines plane that caught fire after the plane landed in Denver in March, according to a new report released Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board said one part inside the right engine of the Boeing 737-800 was loose and had been installed in an incorrect direction and that fuel was leaking from the fitting of another part that was incorrectly fastened. The preliminary findings don't identify the cause of the fire because the NTSB won't reach that conclusion until after it completes its investigation sometime next year. But former NTSB and FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti said the problems investigators found in the engine appear to be the source of the fuel that caught fire. 'To me, it looks like improper maintenance in the right engine leading to a fuel leak,' Guzzetti said after reading the NTSB report. Photos and videos posted online showed billowing smoke and passengers standing on the plane's wing after it taxied to a gate at Denver International Airport. Twelve people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The plane carried 172 passengers and six crew. The NTSB said gate workers extinguished the fire within a minute even before firefighters arrived and doused lingering hot spots on the plane. Pictures included in the NTSB report show streaks on the outside of the engine from the leaking fuel, and airport video showed a trail of fluid leaking from under the right engine as the airplane taxied into the gate. Guzzetti said he believes those streaks were probably made while the plane was flying. After it landed, he said, the fuel likely pooled inside the engine and caught fire. The American Airlines flight had left Colorado Springs Airport and was bound for Dallas Fort Worth when it diverted to Denver on March 13 after the crew reported high engine vibrations. The plane's right engine caught fire after it arrived at the gate. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Passengers started yelling 'fire' and 'smoke' shortly after the plane pulled up to the gate, and flight attendants saw smoke start to fill the cabin, according to the NTSB report. The flight attendants tried calling the flight crew and knocking on the cockpit door, but didn't get an answer. So the report said the flight attendants initiated the evacuation. Passengers were able to use the jetway at the front left door and the escape slide at the right rear door as well as the left over-wing doors to evacuate. But the left rear door wouldn't open, and maintenance personnel discovered afterward that the escape slide jammed in the door. The faulty slide was sent to the manufacturer for further investigation. 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 transportation.
