ORLANDO – The Delta plane launched a fire Monday before it was due to take off from Central Florida Airport, forcing passengers to evacuate, airport officials said.
There were no reports of injuries during the fire on an Orlando International Airport plane, Delta said in a statement.
Recent aviation disasters and close calls in the US have left flying a safe way of travel, but have surprised fears about air travel. The ground accident included a plane that crashed and turned over when it landed in Toronto, and a Japan Airlines plane that cut out a delta plane that had parked while taxiing at Seattle Airport. An American Airlines plane broke out in Denver last month.
The engine fire occurred late Monday morning on a 1213 Delta Line flight while the plane was on the ramp prior to a scheduled departure from Orlando to Atlanta, airport officials said on social media.
Passengers were evacuated and airport rescue and fire teams responded, the airport’s statement said.
The Airbus A330 aircraft had 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots.
“Delta’s flight crew followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames were observed in one tailpipe of the aircraft’s two engines,” Delta said in a statement.
The maintenance team will look at the aircraft to determine the cause of the fire, Delta said.
