An American Airlines plane was evacuated after catching fire on the tarmac at a Denver airport Thursday evening.
The fire occurred while the plane — a Boeing 737-800 — was taxiing to a gate, Denver International Airport said in a statement.
Video taken from inside the terminal shows thick smoke billowing out of the jet while people fan out on the wings and run from the scene with fire under the plane’s tail.
“Passengers were evacuated and the slides were deployed,” the airport said.
The airline said 172 passengers and six crew — who had just arrived from Colorado Springs en route to Dallas but were diverted — were evacuated safely and no injuries were initially reported. Several hours later the airline said six people were hospitalized in unknown condition.
“We thank our crew members, DEN team and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority,” the airline said in a statement to Fox 31 Denver.
The plane experienced “an engine-related issue,” American Airlines spokesperson Brian Metham told the Denver Post. He did not reveal if the the engine issue caused the diversion.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the cause of the incident. The crew reported “engine vibrations” before landing in Denver, the FAA said. The fire started after landing.
Thursday’s incident in the latest plane mishap to occur in 2025.
Multiple close calls and fatal plane crashes have already happened, including a Delta flight that flipped upside down while making a crash landing in Toronto and an American Airlines flight that collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington D.C., killing everyone onboard both aircraft.