A United Airlines flight aborted takeoff after one of its engines caught fire, temporarily halting arrivals at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport amid busy Memorial Day travel.
The incident, reported on Monday, was captured in a dramatic video from the tarmac featuring smoke gushing out from one of the wings, the New York Post reported.
The United Flight 2091 was about to take off from the airport at around 2 PM (local time) when an engine of the Airbus A320 caught fire, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed.
It was expected to fly to Seattle when the engine burst into flames on the taxiway, forcing 148 passengers on board and five crew members to evacuate as the plane was towed back to a gate, the FAA and the airlines have stated in separate statements.
The FAA noted that an engine of the plane caught fire, while the airline only described it as “an issue with the engine.”
“The fire department and medical personnel met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution,” CNN quoted United officials as saying. They added that no injuries were reported.
This incident forced the FAA to temporarily halt arrivals at the busy Chicago airport, while regular operations started at around 2:45 PM (local time).
A video, reportedly shot by a passenger from inside the plane, shows thick smoke coming out from one of the wings of the plane as it ran on the tarmac.
The person, who took the video, has claimed that he heard an explosion just when the plane was about to take off.
“I felt the impact on my window. As I looked, the engine was on fire and smoke was coming out,” the passenger told a publication.
The airline, in its statement, further said that the engine issue was “immediately addressed” by first responders, adding that all the passengers onboard were deplaned “normally”.
“We are working to make alternative travel arrangements for customers,” it stated.
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