The preliminary report of the National Transportation Safety Commission found that the instructions maintenance error could be wrong American Airlines aircraft After an emergency landing at Denver International Airport in March.
Investigators say airport cameras captured video showing a series of traces of fluid airplane Taxed after the engine problem was transferred to Denver. When investigators looked at the plane's engine, they found that some parts were loose and appeared to be installed incorrectly, with one "allowing fuel to leak from the accessories."
"It looks like there's a maintenance issue that caused this fire and we have to figure out where the error happened so we can have an error again," said Robert Sumwalt, former NTSB chairman.
Passengers escape from the plane
The NTSB said the Denver ground crew extinguished the fire in less than a minute.
The report describes the chaos in the cabin after passengers flying to Dallas-Worth International Airport were the flames seen under the engine.
"Everyone was screaming, 'There was fire.'" recalled Helen Prager on the plane. “Literally, I’m screaming, ‘Let the door open.’”
When this happened, a flight attendant called the pilot but "didn't get an answer", NTSB said. Another stewardess knocked on the cabin door to remind the pilots outside of the fire and the smoke inside. Some of the 172 passengers were evacuated to the wings, but the escape slide was blocked to prevent the use of the cabin door.
"It's a problem when it's not deployed correctly and blocked the door," Sumwalt said. "So, NTSB is going to go deeper. ... Is it coming from the factory, or is it a maintenance issue?"
After the fire, twelve people were taken to the hospital and suffered minor injuries. Officials said after the incident. The plane took off from Colorado Springs.
"The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we are working with the National Transportation Safety Commission to conduct an investigation," American Airlines told CBS News in a statement.
Aviation events in 2025
So far, the Denver plane fires have been a series of aviation events.
In January, Air collision A Blackhawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport crashed into an American Airlines plane, killing all 64 people on the area's jets, as well as three soldiers in the helicopter. Flights are from Wichita, Kansas.
one Delta gas line During landing at Toronto International Airport in February, the regional jet crashed and turned upside down. The incident caused 21 injuries, but all 80 people, including the crew, were able to escape the wreckage.
Member of Congress In April, one plane sitting on the apron at Reagan National Airport was caught by another plane. No harm was reported in the incident.
Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating a power outage in Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Centerthe company is responsible for operating flights from Newark Airport. There have been several power outages since April. last month, Trump administration Plans for overhaul of the system have been announced.
Despite the striking events this year, CBS News Analysis According to data from NTSB and the Bureau of Travel Statistics, in 2024, 0.02% of domestic flights involved accidents.