An American Airlines flight bound for Dallas had to be evacuated on the tarmac of Denver International Airport when it caught fire. Black smoke billowed from it while passengers fled.
One hundred and seventy-eight people were aboard it Thursday evening when the flames began. Some scrambled over the wing while others made it to the emergency slide.
Twelve people were taken to the hospitalized for injuries, but all were minor, authorities reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement with these details: The American Airlines Flight 1006 departed from Colorado Springs Airport and was bound for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when the "crew reported engine vibrations."
"After landing and while taxiing to the gate an engine caught fire and passengers evacuated the aircraft," the FAA said.
American Airlines said the plane experienced an "engine-related issue" after it taxied to the gate.
This follows a series of air disasters and close calls including a close call between two planes at Chicago Midway, a Delta plane landing belly up in Toronto, terrifying passengers, a deadly midair collision between a regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that killed 167 people over the Potomac, and a Medvac jet crash in Philadelphia.
The FAA responded to the Potomac crash with new rules this morning, including permanently restricting “non-essential” helicopter operations around Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.