A Delta aircraft caught on fire on the tarmac at the Orlando international airport on Monday morning, forcing frightened passengers to evacuate the jet via slides.
The Delta flight, which was headed for Atlanta, Georgia, had left its gate at about 11.15am ET when one of the aircraft’s engines caught fire, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Video of the aircraft posted to social media shows flames and smoke coming out of the back of the airplane’s engine. Staff on the runway helped usher passengers off the aircraft, as seen in later video.
Those aboard the plane, including 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, were evacuated and taken to the airport’s terminal building.
The fire was contained and put out, the FAA confirmed. No injuries were reported.
“Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines were observed,” the airline said in a statement.
Delta added that maintenance crew would examine the plane to understand what initially caused the fire, ABC News reported.
The latest emergency evacuation comes after several high-profile incidents involving airplanes at US airports.
In January, an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter as it was landing at Ronald Reagan national airport in Washington DC. Sixty-seven people died as a result of the collision.
