United Airlines Passengers Flee as Fire Erupts on United Express Plane
Near panic ensued on the tarmac of Denver International Airport as passengers flee a burning United Airlines plane, which was assigned to United Express Flight 5869. The left engine of the aircraft burst into flames shortly after the plane landed at Denver.
United Express Flight 5869 left Aspen, Colorado and landed an hour later in a short hop to the Denver International Airport on Sunday, July 2. The aircraft's left engine erupted into flames shortly after landing on the Denver tarmac, according to the Daily Mail.
Passengers and crew members of the flight evacuated on the spot, as flames engulfed the left engine of the Bombardier CRJ-701 craft, with burning residue spilling on to the tarmac. No injuries were reported from the incident, and all passengers were evacuated to safety.
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There were 59 passengers on board United Express Flight 5869, which was operated by United Airlines partner SkyWest. According to a spokesperson for the airline, the plane "experienced engine issues" after landing.
Heath Montgomery, the spokesperson for the Denver International Airport, gave the account that a fire was reported as the plane was taxiing to reach a gate. Firefighters were quickly called to the scene, as 59 passengers and four crew members fled the aircraft without reported injuries.
The representative described the whole event as brief. "It was a very short-lived, very quick incident," Montgomery said, as quoted by the Washington Post.
A post on Twitter by one of the witnesses showed the fire department of the airport dousing the aircraft. The poster described the reaction of the responders as swift.
"Quick and immediate response. first responders on runway. Huge thanks to pilot and crew for helping get passengers off safe. #Denver," user @raiyansyed wrote in the caption that comes with the video.
While the National Transportation Safety Board has been advised of the incident, word of an investigation has not been released as of this time.
