Passengers Evacuated After United Airlines Plane Catches Fire At Houston Airport

A United Airlines flight that was preparing to take off from George Bush Intercontinental had to be evacuated Sunday morning after the aircraft caught on fire during takeoff. The flight was set to travel to New York.

According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, the crew of United Airlines Flight 1382 had to stop their takeoff from George Bush Intercontinental due to what was described as an “engine issue” shortly after 8:35 a.m. local time. Video shared with Fox 26 Houston shows flames seeping out of one of the aircraft’s wings while panicked passengers hurried to evacuate.

In the video, a flight attendant can be heard asking for passengers to remain in their seats. “No, it’s on fire!” one of the passengers shouted back.

Passengers were ultimately forced to use stairs and the emergency slide to get off of the plane, according to the Houston Fire Department. A separate video shows passengers waiting on the tarmac after evacuating.

Smoke and flames can be seen seeping out of the aircraft’s right wing

Thankfully, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. The Houston Fire Department told Fox 26 that they did not have to put out the fire, suggesting that aircraft safety mechanisms help up.

The jet, an Airbus A319, was preparing to fly to LaGuardia Airport in New York at the time of the incident. 104 passengers and five crewmembers were onboard at the time, all of whom were safely evacuated. The FAA is currently investigating the fire, and the cause of the malfunction is not known as of this report.

This is a developing story.