American Airlines Plane Catches Fire At O’Hare

An American Airlines Boeing 767 aborted takeoff at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Friday after an engine caught fire.

American flight AA383, about to depart for Miami with 161 passengers and nine crew onboard, abandoned takeoff and was evacuated with only minor injuries.

A statement from the airline said 20 passengers and one flight attendant reported non-critical injuries and were taken to a local hospital.

The captain of the flight initially reported a tyre burst, but later reports indicate an uncontained engine failure.

An uncontained failure is when pieces of the engine are ejected from the engine casing at high speed and can puncture fuel tanks or the passenger cabin.

The incident took place just after 2.30pm local time, with pictures showing the right engine and wing engulfed in flames. The airport was closed initially after the evacuation, but flights resumed on all but three runways.

American said it is cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the incident.