Share

Scary video shows panic as passengers evacuate smoke-filled flight

Denver - Passengers and crew aboard an American Airlines flight were safely evacuated by emergency slides on Wednesday after possible smoke was detected inside the cabin after the aircraft landed at Denver International Airport, officials said.

Shortly before noon local time, the pilot of Flight 445 from Charlotte, North Carolina to Denver was alerted to reports of smoke as the plane was taxiing to a gate, American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said in a statement.

The pilot ordered the deployment of emergency chutes of the Airbus A321, which was operated by US Airways, and all 158 passengers and six crew members were safely evacuated and bused to the airport concourse, she said.

"A few customers requested to see the paramedics, but no one was taken to the hospital," Huguely said.

Denver International Airport spokeswoman Laura Coale said the incident occurred on a taxiway, and not a runway, so airport operations were unaffected.

The Denver Fire Department found no signs of a fire on the aircraft after its preliminary investigation, Coale said.

Huguely said the airline was in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Board as the agencies investigate the incident.

One of the passengers on board filmed the tense evacuation process and shared it on American Airlines' Facebook page, praising the cabin crew for doing an excellent job. Check the video out below:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 939 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 457 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.81
+1.1%
Rand - Pound
23.52
+1.2%
Rand - Euro
20.13
+1.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.30
+0.8%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+2.4%
Platinum
922.80
-0.3%
Palladium
962.50
-2.8%
Gold
2,339.27
+0.3%
Silver
27.29
-0.5%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.2%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE