Jetliner Engine Catches on Fire at Fort Lauderdale Airport
NTSB sends team to Fort Lauderdale to investigate jet engine fire.
- By Sydny Shepard
- Oct 31, 2015
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a four-person team to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to investigate the engine of a Caracas, Venezuela-bound Boeing 767 that caught fire while it taxied for departure.
The pilot of the aircraft traveling behind the Dynamic International Airways Flight 405 reported fuel leaking from the plane before it caught fire, a Federal Aviation Administration official said. The fire occurred about 12:30 p.m. on the airport’s north runway.
Passengers evacuated the jet throw the emergency slides on the taxiway. Emergency responders where on the scene in two minutes, and the plane was evacuated within six minutes.
The airport was closed as emergency officials responded, spraying the flames with foam from hoses. Firefighters kept their nozzles towards the plane even after the flames died out in case it flared up again.
There were approximately 22 to 24 people that were considered patients after the fire, injuries ranging from knee, chest and back pain, to complaints of anxiety. Seventeen people were transported to Broward Health Medical Center, according to a spokeswoman. Two of the 17 had been treated and discharged the same day.
A statement from Dynamic International Airways said that the, crew “shut down the engine and evacuated the aircraft” after learning of an engine problem. Dynamic said it would be investigating the matter and will be working to make arrangements for passengers affected by the flight disruption.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the former editor of Occupational Health & Safety.