Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight were forced to evacuate via emergency slides and stairs at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday after an engine malfunction sparked smoke and fire during takeoff, The Associated Press reports.
United Airlines Flight 1382, bound for New York City, was halted on the runway shortly after 8:30 a.m. after an “indication about one engine” on the Airbus A319, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The plane had not yet become airborne when the incident occurred.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and all 104 passengers and five crew members were safely transported back to the terminal by bus.
A video captured by a passenger and obtained by KPRC-TV shows dramatic footage of orange flames and smoke billowing from the right wing of the jet as it sped down the runway.
United Airlines confirmed that the passengers deplaned on the runway using a combination of slides and stairs. The airline also stated that it arranged for a different aircraft to transport the passengers to their destination, LaGuardia Airport in New York, with a scheduled departure at 2:00 p.m. CT.
The FAA has announced it will launch an investigation into the cause of the engine malfunction.
This incident comes amid heightened concerns about flight safety following two recent deadly plane crashes. In Washington, D.C., an American Airlines jet collided mid-air with an Army helicopter, resulting in the deaths of all those on board. Additionally, a small jet crashed in a residential area in Philadelphia, killing seven people.
