CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities say an American Airlines plane caught fire and passengers evacuated on the runway at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says American Airlines Flight 383 departed Chicago for Miami on Friday afternoon when it blew a tire and damaged an engine. Molinaro says the pilot aborted takeoff and everyone evacuated. The FAA says there were no injuries.
Television reports showed a large plume of black smoke coming from the Boeing 767.
American Airlines spokeswoman Leslie Scott said in a brief statement that the plane had “an engine-related mechanical issue.” She says buses are en route to take 161 passengers and nine crew members from the runway to the terminal.
The Chicago Fire Department tweeted that it was responding to the scene.
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So, unrelated sad story: last week my gas water heater exploded and it burned my house down. Yeah, it was a “plumbing-related mechanical issue.”
(Alternate joke: hey good thing it was a plane fire. If it had been a snazzy fire someone might have got hurt!)