A Delta flight in Atlanta was evacuated Friday using emergency slides during snowy conditions after an aborted takeoff, resulting in four injuries and one hospitalization.
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Around 200 passengers were swiftly evacuated from Minneapolis-bound flight 2668 onto the tarmac at Atlanta International Airport at 9:10 a.m.
The incident unfolded following an engine issue, per Atlanta News First.
A video shared on social media captures frantic travelers, including children, hurrying through several inches of snow with their luggage after evacuating a Boeing 757-300.
Emergency Evacuation in @atlantaairport_ @Delta this morning! Ground stop! What happened? Why the secrecy? No media? @CBSNews @abcnews @CNN @FoxNews #Aviation #safety #Avgeeks #Passenger #travel@ pic.twitter.com/3pkYvRaZtY
— Karlene Petitt (@KarlenePetitt) January 10, 2025
“Emergency Evacuation in @atlantaairport_ @Delta this morning! Ground stop! What happened? Why the secrecy? No media?” the video’s poster wrote alongside the footage.
Of course, armchair experts across social media weighed in on the harrowing clip.
“You shut the motor down and run on one. Something more serious is going on here. An evacuation can get people hurt,” one aviation enthusiast on X insisted. “Sounds like a text book rejected take-off after reports of fire from one engine,” a second X user added.
“Why evacuate the aircraft? It’s not on fire. Seems like a good way to injure passengers. Since it’s blocking the runway, send airstairs and buses out!” another concerned onlooker chimed in.
However, one onlooker saw something positive about the scene.
“Finally, an excavation where I don’t see a ton of bags. Shout out to that delta crew,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, another X user pointed out there were no reasons for hysterics or conspiracy theories regarding the emergency evacuation.
“It was just an engine fire that was noticed as the plane was taxiing. I live in ATL it’s all over the local news,” they wrote.
Delta Airlines Issues a Statement Regarding Plane’s Emergency Slide Evacuation
Indeed, both the airport and Delta issued statements regarding the incident.
According to the airport, four passengers sustained minor injuries, with one transported to the hospital for further care while the others were treated on-site. The exact nature of the engine issues remains unclear at this time.
Delta issued an apology to passengers for the unsettling experience.
“Delta’s flight crew followed established procedures to suspend the takeoff of flight…after an indication of an engine issue,” Delta explained, per The New York Post.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”