Delta Flight Evacuated After Engine Fire at Orlando Airport

A Delta Air Lines flight preparing to depart from Orlando International Airport was evacuated on Monday after one of its engines caught fire, prompting a rapid emergency response, Reuters reported.

The Airbus A330, scheduled as Flight 1213 to Atlanta, had just pushed back from the gate around 11:15 a.m. EDT when flames were observed in the tailpipe of one of its engines, the report said, citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft was reportedly carrying 282 passengers and 12 crew members at the time.

According to the Reuters report, “Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines were observed.”

Passengers were swiftly evacuated using emergency slides, it said. Dramatic video footage posted on social media showed flames and smoke pouring from the aircraft.

Orlando International Airport confirmed the incident in a social media post, stating that the fire occurred in the ramp area and that their aircraft rescue and firefighting team responded promptly.

The FAA, meanwhile, has said that it will conduct a full investigation into the cause of the fire.

Delta said its maintenance teams will examine the aircraft, and the airline is arranging alternative flights for affected passengers to reach their destinations later in the day, according to Reuters report.

In March, an American Airlines jet experienced an engine fire after diverting to Denver, leading to an emergency evacuation. And in January, a mid-air collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. left 67 people dead.

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