Other passengers reported chaos as individuals screamed, cried and ran via the aircraft. Officials stated one hundred ten passengers and crew have been onboard this flight. It operates seven 767s. The company has still not officially commented on the reason behind its plane catching fire, though it did confirm that it was investigating the matter and promised that an official statement is to be released soon.
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Ninety-minutes later, the airport reopened its south runway to allow air traffic to resume.
Fifteen people were reportedly rushed to the hospital with minor injuries with the exception of one person who was severely burned.
Luis Campana, 71, was aboard the Dynamic flight when the engine caught fire. The plane was ready to depart for Venezuela, according to airport officials.
There were “several injuries” after the engine caught fire, Broward County Sheriff’s Office said in a Twitter post.
The passengers and crew evacuated the Dynamic worldwide Airways’ Boeing 767-200ER shortly after the pilots found out that the jet was in trouble.
Firefighters put out the fire, which started in the engine mounted on the left wing.
Passengers were sent scrambling down the aircraft’s evacuation slides. “There is fluid leaking out of the left engine”.
“Engine is on fire”. It also takes passengers to New York and Guyana, Orlando and Brazil and Hong Kong.
Don Dodson, the director of operations for Dynamic Airways, said airline officials had set up a crisis center, flown in additional airline representatives to help passengers and arranged for a relief flight to take passengers to their final destinations.
The fire has caused minimal disruption to the airport at this time and the airport is deciding whether or not it has to route planes to one of its two runways, Meyer said. The plane was taxiing for takeoff to Venezuela when the left engine caught fire. The pilot on a trailing airplane said the engine had been leaking fuel.
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According to the NTSB, Fort Lauderdale’s airport has not seen a fatal accident since it opened for commercial service in 1959.
