American Airlines passengers detail "surreal, exhausting" experience after plane fire, arriving in Dallas

CBS News

14-03-2025

Passengers on an American Airlines plane that caught fire in Denver arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport early Friday morning, nearly 12 hours after initially taking off.
The plane, with 178 passengers, caught fire on the tarmac after making an emergency landing at Denver International Airport, forcing many passengers to evacuate by climbing out onto a wing and with emergency slides. Airport officials said 12 passengers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News in a statement that American Airlines Flight 1006 had departed from Colorado Springs Airport and was bound for DFW Airport when the "crew reported engine vibrations."
Michele Woods was on her way home from a trade show in Colorado Springs. She said takeoff was fine, but once the plane was in the air, one of the engines was making a loud noise.
She said people were screaming, pushing and jumping when the plane landed.
"[The plane] landed, everything was fine but then there was smoke filling the cabin," said Woods, who was sitting in the front of the plane. She said she was able to walk off of the plane.
"The video was really scary," she said.
Ingrid Hibbit and her family were on the way to a wedding in Argentina when the plane was diverted to Denver, missing their initial connecting flight in Dallas.
She said the landing was abrupt and once the plane landed, she saw flames out of her window, which was melting.
"Getting off the plane was a challenge, didn't go smoothly," she said. "Grateful to be here."