DENVER, USA – Dozens of passengers were forced to stand on the wing of an American Airlines plane at Denver International Airport on Thursday, March 13, 2025, after one of its engines caught fire, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.
The incident occurred during the evacuation of American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 en route to Dallas-Fort Worth from Colorado Springs.
The flight, carrying 172 passengers and six crew members, diverted to Denver around 5:15 p.m. local time after the crew reported “engine vibrations,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“After landing and while taxiing to the gate, an engine caught fire,” the FAA said in a statement.
The plane arrived at gate C38, where the fire broke out, a Denver International Airport spokesperson told CNN. The fire was extinguished, and all passengers were safely evacuated.
Images from the scene showed dozens of passengers exiting the aircraft and standing on the wing as smoke filled the air.
Twelve passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the Denver Fire Department confirmed.
“We thank our crew members, DEN team, and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Kristal Leonard, a passenger waiting inside the airport for a connecting flight, captured video of the incident.
She told CNN she saw flames and smoke engulfing the plane. “I was terrified for those passengers,” Leonard said. “I can’t even imagine how scared they must’ve been.”
Ground crews appeared to extinguish the fire relatively quickly, according to footage filmed by another passenger.
The video showed bright orange flames and black smoke dissipating into a misty white haze as workers put out the fire.
American Airlines is sending a replacement aircraft and crew to Denver to help passengers continue their journey to Dallas.
The incident comes just three weeks after a Delta Air Lines flight crashed, turned upside down, and caught fire on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
It also follows a series of aviation accidents this year, including deadly crashes in Alaska, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, where an American Airlines plane collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in January, killing 67 people.
The FAA is investigating the cause of the engine fire, and American Airlines has assured passengers that safety remains its top priority.
