An American Airlines Plane Caught On Fire On The O’Hare Runway

On Friday afternoon, an American Airlines flight was forced to abort takeoff due to a mechanical issue that made the aircraft catch on fire.

The passengers and crew were forced to evacuate on emergency chutes. American Airlines stated that the plane aborted the takeoff due to an “engine-related mechanical issue.”

There were 161 passengers aboard the aircraft and nine crew that were evacuated from the plane. The airline company said that seven passengers and one flight attendant sustained minor injuries in the frightening ordeal.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the issue and the runway has been closed down in the wake of the incident. The FAA said, “preliminary reports indicate a blown tire,” and they added that it “is investigating to determine the cause.”

American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing 767, was bound for Miami and was forced to abort the flight around 2:35 p.m. Friday afternoon.

As the flames erupted and billowing black smoke filled the air, six ambulances rushed to the scene in order to assist the evacuation.

Twitter user Jose Castillo posted a video on social media with the caption: “Here’s another video of the @AmericanAir plane in Chicago.”

Passengers are seen walking through the grass as firetrucks roll in to put out the flames.

From the looks of this terrifying incident, it is amazing that more people were not injured and killed.

A spokesperson for American Airilnes released a statement about the incident saying:

“American Airlines flight 383, a 767 bound for Miami, aborted take off due to an engine-related mechanical issue. The 161 passengers and 9 crew deplaned on the runway…

The statement continued: “All passengers onboard flight 383 have been bused back to the terminal. Seven passengers and one flight attendant reported minor injuries and were transported to the hospital to be evaluated. We are taking care of our customers and crew and are re-accommodating our passengers on another flight to Miami this evening.”

We’re praying for a speedy recovery for all those injured in this horrifying incident.

[H/T WGNTV, ABC News]