On Monday afternoon, at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, a United Airlines flight had to abandon takeoff when one of its engines caught fire and thick smoke spewed from the wing. The plane in question was United Flight 2091, an Airbus 320 bound for Seattle.
The aircraft had just gotten onto the taxiway before the engine exploded into flames. This abrupt breakdown necessitated immediate action on the part of both pilots and airport emergency personnel. At that particular time there were one hundred forty eight passengers and five crew members who were onboard. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued statements separately with details about the occurrence as well as United Airlines.
As travelers were being evacuated after towing back to a gate, Ivan Paloalto-captured video showed thick smoke pouring out of one wing. In addition, Paloalto could hear an explosion as he was almost taking off. “I felt something hit my window; I turned my head towards it; there was fire coming out;” he told Storyful.
Because of this fire, FAA stopped planes from landing at O’Hare temporarily because many flights are expected to arrive during Memorial Day weekend which is among US busiest holidays.Regualr operations started later thus preventing more disruptions..
An “emergency situation,” resolved “safely,” was how an airport representative described it. United Airlines confirmed that no injuries happened and lauded first responders for their prompt actions in resolving the engine problem. Passengers disembarked “as they normally would,” according to the airline. “We are making other arrangements for passengers,” said United in its press release.
This episode is indicative of a range of travel nightmares over Memorial Day weekend. Other than the O’Hare engine blaze, there was a ground stoppage due to severe thunderstorms moving through JFK International Airport on Monday. The cumulative effect of these issues illustrated how difficult it can be for people going on trips during peak times in summer.
The response at O’Hare airport demonstrated the strict safety measures taken to cope with such situations effectively, ensuring that passenger safety is of utmost importance. Although this was no doubt a terrifying experience for all on board, it was only thanks to the prompt reactions of the flight crew and emergency services that a much worse situation didn’t occur.
