American Airlines plane catches fire at Denver airport - injuring 12

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 N826AN (MSN 40649)

American Airlines flight 1006, traveling from Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS/KCOS) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW/KDFW), diverted to Denver (DEN/KDEN) after experiencing strong engine vibrations in the number two engine. 

The engine eventually caught fire after a successful landing at Denver International Airport.

The Boeing 737 experienced flames pouring from its engine as it was taxiing into a gate. Passengers escaped onto the wing amidst thick black smoke, with some running down the emergency slides.

Several dramatic videos showed passengers standing on the wing of the plane before evacuating as smoke poured out the engine.

Fortunately, all 172 passengers and six crew members were evacuated, but 12 passengers required hospitalization due to the incident. This mechanical failure, alongside recent aviation scares, has heightened traveler anxiety, affecting ticket sales, though experts maintain that flying remains very safe.

A witness said he saw a "sudden fire, followed by a ton of smoke".
"The fire was very brief and looked like it was extinguished pretty quickly by ground crews," he said.
"The smoke continued for a while and that's when we saw people starting to exit from the rear slides."

The FAA said it would investigate the incident.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: American Airlines

Code: AA/AAL

Aircraft: Boeing 737-823

Registration: N885NN

Serial Number: 31139

Engines: CFMI CFM56-7B24

First Flew: 21/09/2010

Age: 14.5 Years