Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight were forced to evacuate on the runway Sunday afternoon after the aircraft’s engine caught fire moments before take-off at Orlando International Airport.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Delta Flight 1213 was preparing to depart for Atlanta around 11:15 a.m. local time when flames were spotted in one of the engines during pushback from the gate.
The aircraft, an Airbus A330, was seen in dramatic video footage shared online with smoke and flames billowing from its rear as thick black plumes rose over the airport. Emergency slides were quickly deployed, and passengers were seen exiting the cabin onto the tarmac while stunned travelers watched from the terminal.
Officials confirmed that all 212 people on board—including 200 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and two pilots—evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.
“The fire was contained and is out,” a spokesperson for Orlando International Airport told CBS News.
Delta Air Lines said the crew initiated an emergency evacuation after detecting flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s main engines. The airline apologised to passengers for the incident and said an alternative aircraft would be provided.
“We appreciate our customers’ cooperation and apologise for the experience,” Delta said in a statement. “Another aircraft is being brought in to take passengers to their destination.”
The incident comes two months after a separate Delta flight crash-landed and caught fire in Toronto, injuring over two dozen people, including a child.
Both the FAA and Delta’s internal safety team have launched investigations into the cause of the Orlando engine fire.
Edited by Nzubechukwu Eze.
