A Delta Air Lines plane carrying almost 300 passengers on Monday suffered an engine fire amid pushing back from the gate at Orlando International Airport in Florida, forcing the passengers to evacuate using slides.
The Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, said the Airbus A330 was set to depart for Atlanta when the engine caught fire around 11:15 a.m. EDT, adding that it would investigate.
DAILY POST reports that the engine fire is the latest in a series of high-profile aviation incidents that have raised questions about US aviation safety, including the January 29 mid-air collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport that killed at least 67 people.
According to Delta, Flight 1213 had 282 passengers and 12 crew members and there were no initial reports of injuries.
It further stated that Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft's two engines were observed.
In a post on social media, Orlando International Airport said that the fire occurred on the ramp area, stating that the airport's aircraft rescue and fire fighting team promptly responded.
Delta said maintenance teams would examine the aircraft and the airline would bring in additional aircraft to help customers reach their final destinations on Monday.
Recall that in March, an engine on an American Airlines jet caught fire after the plane diverted to Denver, forcing the evacuation of passengers onto the wing of the airplane.
The engine was said to have caught fire while taxiing to the gate.
