From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

Passengers evacuate on to wing of burning American Airlines jet
11 hours ago
Christal Hayes and Rachel Looker
BBC News
Watch: Passengers seen on wing of plane after jet catches fire

Passengers on an American Airlines flight were evacuated on to the tarmac
of an airport in Colorado as a fire broke out on the plane, sending smoke billowing into the air.

Footage of the evacuation showed passengers huddled on the wing of the
Boeing airliner, some holding bags, with flames burning near the bottom of
the plane.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said passengers used
inflatable slides to reach the ground safely at the Denver International Airport. The agency said that it would investigate the cause of the
incident.

There were no reports of serious injuries, although the airport later confirmed 12 people were taken to hospital for minor injuries.

The flight took off from nearby Colorado Springs and was on the way to
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, the FAA said in a
statement to the BBC.

The plane diverted to Denver around 17:15 local time (23:15 GMT) after the crew reported "engine vibrations", the FAA said.

After the plane landed, it caught fire while taxiing on the tarmac at the airport.

American Airlines said the plane had 172 passengers on board, along with
six crew members. All were evacuated safely, the company said.

It added that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 and experienced an "engine- related issue".

Smoke and flames were visible from various gates at the airport, according
to airport spokesman Michael Konopasek. He said the fire was doused and it
did not lead to delays for other flights.

Some of those inside the airport posted videos on social media showing the plane's passengers walking toward the edge of the wing as large clouds of black smoke filled the air.

Ground crew can be seen rushing to the wing while pushing ladders.

Videos show flames under the plane's right engine as an inflatable
evacuation slide appears at the aircraft's rear door.

The evacuation comes after a recent string of high-profile incidents in
North America that have raised concerns about aviation safety.

A fatal crash in Washington DC left 67 people dead when an American
Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with a US Army Black Hawk
helicopter. The crash in the US capital city led to questions about air traffic controller shortages and their workloads.

US President Donald Trump's administration has also terminated hundreds of
FAA probationary workers as part of government cost-saving efforts.

The layoffs happened weeks after the fatal DC crash.

The laid-off FAA employees included maintenance mechanics, environmental compliance workers and technical assistants.

Trump has pushed to reduce government spending with tech billionaire Elon
Musk spearheading efforts as part of the Department of Government
Efficiency (Doge).
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