Pilots were forced to abort a takeoff and evacuate passengers from a burning American Airlines flight on a runway at Chicago O’Hare International Airport after the airliner experienced what a federal official said was a rare and serious type of engine failure.
American Airlines Flight 383 to Miami experienced an “uncontained engine failure,” in which engine parts break off and are spewed outside the engine, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The danger of such a failure is that engine pieces effectively become shrapnel and can cause extensive damage to the aircraft.
Flames and heavy black smoke poured from the side of the Boeing 767 jet as it sat on the runway Friday after the aborted takeoff.
Officials said the incident left 21 people injured. Footage from the scene showed passengers coming down emergency slides and hurrying across grass next to the runway as emergency vehicles surrounded the plane.
