Passengers on a United Airlines flight were evacuated on the tarmac on Sunday after the plane caught fire before takeoff.
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United Flight 1382 was en route from the George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport to LaGuardia in New York City. At around 8:35 a.m. local time, passenger footage shows a section of the plane’s wing on fire.
Flight attendants asked the passengers to remain calm and in their seats. However, panic ensued — likely due in part to recent tragic plane crashes in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.
“I knew we were OK since we were on the ground,” one passenger, Ashlyn Sharp, told Fox 26 in Houston. “I definitely was full on anxiety mode when I started seeing people start screaming, rushing, trying to get out, crying. It was just a nightmare, especially with everything going on right now.”
Sharp said she was attempting to fall asleep when the incident occurred.
“It sounded like something flew into the engine or something,” she recalled. “[It] scared everyone. That’s when we all looked out our window and saw the engine and the wing on fire, and we could smell the smoke inside.”
Ultimately, the 104 passengers and five crew members were evacuated onto the tarmac.
“[The crew] eventually got us on the emergency slide out the back [of the plane] when they realized we’re not gonna stay in our seats much longer,” Sharp shared. “And then we ended up being stuck on the tarmac for about 2.5 hours.”
Emergency services eventually escorted the passengers back to the airport, where they were booked on later flights. No injuries were reported.
“Hopefully, it was just a freak accident,” Sharp said. “I’m glad everyone was OK.”
Panic Ensued on the Flight Following Multiple Recent Tragedies
Recent weeks have seen more deadly outcomes to shocking airplane incidents.
On Jan. 29, an American Airlines flight was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. when it collided with an Army helicopter in midair. Both aircrafts plummeted into the freezing waters of the Potomac River. Rescue efforts were soon updated to recovery, with no survivors expected.
The flight was carrying 60 passengers — many of whom were U.S. figure skaters and coaches returning from a skating camp in Wichita — and four crew members. The helicopter had three onboard.
Then, on Jan. 31, a Learjet on a medevac flight crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood. All six onboard, including a young female patient and her mother, were killed. The crash also caused chaos on the ground, hitting buildings and vehicles and killing at least one more victim.