Delta Plane Bursts Into Flames on Orlando Runway as Passengers Evacuate on Emergency Slides
A Delta passenger aircraft caught fire while sitting on the tarmac in Orlando before departing for Atlanta.
Passengers aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 had to quickly evacuate the plane using emergency slides at Orlando International Airport on Monday, April 21. Authorities reported no injuries.
The Airbus A330 was at a standstill after backing away from the gate at 11:15 a.m. EST when smoke and fire were seen coming from the back of the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the smoke came from an engine fire.
Fire trucks are seen pulling up to the aircraft to extinguish the flames with a firehose. An ambulance was also seen making its way to passengers de-boarding the plane.
"The fire was contained and is out," an Orlando airport spokesperson told CBS News.
Related: Delta Passenger Said Runways Were in 'Weird Condition,' Plane Hit the Ground 'Super Hard' and 'Went Sideways' Before Flipping Over
The flight, which was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, had 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, Delta said. The passengers were brought back to the terminal, where they waited until Delta could bring another aircraft to take them to Atlanta.
"We appreciate our customers' cooperation and apologize for the experience," Delta said in a statement. "Nothing is more important than safety and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible."
The FAA will investigate the incident.
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The engine fire comes two months after the Flight 4819 crash on Feb. 17, when a flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport landed upside down at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Authorities reported that all 80 passengers evacuated safely, despite the aircraft catching fire.
Related: Everything to Know About the Delta Plane Crash in Toronto — and the Questions that Remain
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and a flight attendant of nearly 29 years, credited the lack of fatalities to the passengers wearing their seatbelts.
'The seatbelts were key to everyone's safe evacuation on the flight and no fatalities,' Nelson told PEOPLE in February. 'If someone had not been wearing their seatbelt in this crash, the likelihood of a death would become very high.'
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