Passengers evacuated a Delta Airbus A330 via emergency slides after an engine fire at Orlando Airport. No injuries were reported.
Credit : X-@beckerkw
What was meant to be a routine flight from Orlando to Atlanta turned into a frightening experience on Monday morning when a Delta plane’s engine caught fire just before take-off.
Passengers on Flight 1213 had to be evacuated using emergency slides, right there on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport.
The incident happened around 11:15 a.m., shortly after the plane — an Airbus A330 — pushed back from the gate. According to the FAA, the fire started in the tailpipe of one of the engines, prompting immediate action from the flight crew. On board were 282 passengers, along with 10 flight attendants and two pilots.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the fire was quickly brought under control by emergency crews already stationed at the airport.
Delta engine fire: swift evacuation and passenger safety response
According to Delta, the moment the flames were spotted, the crew didn’t take any chances. The evacuation order was given, the slides were deployed, and within minutes, everyone was off the plane and back inside the terminal.
Passengers were understandably shaken but calm, and there were no injuries reported. Delta has since arranged for a replacement aircraft to get everyone on their way to Atlanta, albeit with a delay and a story they probably won’t forget anytime soon.
In a statement, the airline apologised for the scare and praised passengers for their cooperation: “Nothing is more important than safety,” they said. “Our teams are working to get customers to their final destinations as soon as possible.”
Recent Delta flight incidents raise passenger safety concerns
This isn’t the first time Delta’s had to deal with an emergency in recent months. Back in February, a flight flipped on landing in Toronto, leaving 21 people injured. A month earlier, in January, another Delta flight aborted take-off in Atlanta, and passengers had to slide off the plane just like they did this week.
The FAA has launched an investigation into Monday’s fire, and Delta says its maintenance team will also be inspecting the aircraft.
For now, the most important thing is that everyone is safe, and the systems in place — from the crew’s training to the airport response — did exactly what they were meant to do. Still, the string of recent incidents is bound to raise a few eyebrows, and passengers will be watching closely to see how Delta responds moving forward.
