An incident occurred at Orlando International Airport on Monday morning when a Delta aircraft caught fire on the tarmac, prompting an emergency evacuation of all passengers and crew using slides. The Delta flight was preparing to depart for Atlanta, Georgia, when the fire broke out around 11:15 a.m. ET, shortly after leaving its gate. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the blaze originated from one of the aircraft’s engines.
Footage shared on social media captured flames and smoke emitting from the airplane’s engine. Ground crew members assisted in safely guiding the 282 passengers, along with 10 flight attendants and two pilots, from the aircraft to the terminal building. The fire was swiftly contained and extinguished, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Delta Airlines confirmed that the flight crew adhered to standard procedures for evacuating the passenger cabin upon noticing flames in the tailpipe of one of the two engines. The airline further stated that their maintenance team would conduct an investigation to determine the root cause of the fire.
This latest emergency evacuation adds to a series of recent aviation incidents across U.S. airports. In a notable event earlier this year, an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter during its landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C., tragically resulting in 67 fatalities.