Passengers on an American Airlines flight that burst into flames in Colorado on Thursday described chaos as the cabin filled with smoke and the windows started to melt — and said they are “grateful” to be alive.
The Texas-bound Boeing 737-800 was diverted to Denver shortly after taking off from Colorado Springs because the crew reported engine vibrations. After it landed, it began taxiing, and an engine caught fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“[The plane] landed, everything was fine, but then there was smoke filling the cabin,” said Michele Woods, who was on her way home from a trade show, to CBS News Texas.
Passengers on American Airlines Flight 1006 line up on one of its wings in Colorado on Thursday, waiting to get down using an inflatable slide. Courtesy of Branden Williams/AFP via Getty Images
She said people were screaming and pushing when the plane landed and called the ordeal “really scary.”
Woods, who was seated at the front of the plane and could hear the “loud noise” being caused by the engine, was able to walk off, but other passengers were forced to evacuate onto a wing and use inflatable slides to exit.
Videos shared to social media showed the terrifying scene, including black smoke billowing from the plane.
Ingrid Hibbit, who was traveling with her family to a wedding in Argentina and planning to catch a connecting flight in Dallas, said the landing was “abrupt.”
She said she could see the blaze from her window, which started to melt.
“Getting off the plane was a challenge. … [It] didn’t go smoothly,” she told CBS, adding that she is “grateful to be here.”
Passenger Michele Woods said everything appeared to be “fine” until smoke began to fill the cabin. CBS Texas
The troubled plane touched down in Denver, and an engine caught fire as it was taxiing on the tarmac, the FAA said.
Passengers at Denver International Airport saw the burning plane and evacuating riders out on the tarmac. Collin Rugg/X
Twelve people suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals, airport officials said.
Flight 1006, which had 172 passengers and six crew members aboard, experienced an “engine-related issue” after taxiing to the gate, American Airlines said, but further details were not immediately provided.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
With Post wires
