Passengers evacuate onto wing as American Airlines plane catches fire in Denver

A Boeing 737-800 carrying 172 passengers and six crew members caught fire while taxiing to a gate at Denver International Airport on Thursday, forcing an emergency evacuation onto the aircraft’s wing, officials said. The plane had been diverted mid-flight due to engine vibrations before landing safely.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the American Airlines flight 1006 was traveling from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth when the crew reported engine trouble. Upon landing in Denver at around 5:15 p.m., an engine caught fire as the plane taxied to the gate.
Passengers scrambled to exit, some using slides while others climbed onto the left wing as black smoke billowed from the right-side engine. “I chose to stay calm,” passenger Hani Levi, a former military airplane mechanic, said. She described thick smoke filling the cabin as some passengers panicked. “A mother screamed that she needed to get off with her two children, one of whom tried to run toward the front of the plane.”
Another passenger, Daniel Friedman, recalled the chaos. “Really, I just wanted to make sure we got here safe and didn’t know if it was going to happen or not,” he told WRAL-TV. “I don’t wish that upon anybody.”
Twelve passengers were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, according to airport officials. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the incident. American Airlines thanked first responders and crew members for their swift action but did not clarify the exact cause of the fire. The damaged plane was later seen parked behind a hangar at the airport.
A replacement aircraft transported passengers to Dallas-Fort Worth, arriving early Friday morning. Aviation experts said engine fires are rare but typically not catastrophic. “A pilot going to work for an airline today could likely fly for 30 years and never experience an engine failure,” said Steven Wallace, a former FAA accident investigations director.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over air travel safety following a series of recent aviation mishaps, including a Japan Airlines plane clipping a parked Delta jet in Seattle and a Toronto flight overturning upon landing. However, former NTSB Chairman James Hall cautioned against drawing conclusions. “Given the past history, you can classify it as unusual,” he said, “but I don’t know if you have enough information to draw any conclusions.”
Boeing declined to comment on the incident, while CFM International, the engine manufacturer, did not immediately respond to inquiries. The FAA and NTSB will continue investigating the cause of the fire.