A Delta Air Lines aircraft experienced a fire outbreak on Monday prior to its scheduled departure from a central Florida airport, necessitating the evacuation of passengers. No injuries were reported in the incident at Orlando International Airport.
The recent increase in aviation accidents and near-misses in the United States has raised concerns about air travel safety, even though it remains a generally safe mode of transportation. Recent on-the-ground accidents include an aircraft that crashed and overturned during landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that collided with a stationary Delta plane while taxiing at Seattle airport. Additionally, an American Airlines aircraft caught fire last month in Denver.
The engine fire on Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 occurred late Monday morning as the plane was stationed on the ramp before its planned flight from Orlando to Atlanta. Airport officials communicated via social media that passengers were safely evacuated, and the airport’s rescue and firefighting team promptly responded to the scene.
The Airbus A330 aircraft was carrying 282 passengers, along with a crew of 10 flight attendants and two pilots. Delta Air Lines stated that their flight crews adhered to established procedures for evacuating the passenger cabin upon noticing flames emanating from the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines.
Delta has announced that maintenance teams will conduct an examination of the aircraft to ascertain the cause of the fire.
