Passengers evacuate onto wing of burning American Airlines plane carrying 178 people

Passengers on an American Airlines flight had to evacuate from the burning plane, with some of them ending up on the wing of the Boeing 737-800 airliner.

This was after flames were seen near the bottom of the plane, which had landed on the tarmac of the Denver International Airport on Mar. 13 (U.S. time).

American Airlines flight 4012 just caught fire at Denver airport pic.twitter.com/EHIGMAqJjJ

— Stone (@flynnstone) March 14, 2025

Some of those standing on the wing were holding bags.

178 on board

American Airlines said the plane had 178 people on board, six of whom were crew members.

All were evacuated safely, the company said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said passengers used inflatable slides to reach the ground safely at a Colorado airport.

An inflatable slide was seen at the aircraft's rear door.

The agency said it would investigate the cause of the incident.

A total of 12 people were taken to hospital for minor injuries, the airport confirmed, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

There were no reports of serious injuries.

What happened

The plane was travelling from nearby Colorado Springs to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, the FAA said, according to BBC.

The plane diverted to Denver at around 5:15pm (U.S. time) after the crew reported "engine vibrations", the FAA said.

American Airlines said the plane taxied to the gate when it experienced an “engine-related issue”, SCMP reported.

After the flight landed, it caught fire while taxiing on the tarmac at the airport.

Smoke and flames were visible from various gates at the airport,

No other flights were delayed, it was reported.

Ground crew were seen rushing to the wing while pushing ladders.

Background

The incident comes after a recent string of high-profile accidents in North America.

A fatal crash in Washington DC on Jan. 29 left 67 people dead when an American Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The crash in the U.S. capital city raised concerns about aviation safety.

Weeks after the fatal DC crash, U.S. president Donald Trump's administration laid off hundreds of FAA probationary workers as part of government cost-saving efforts.

These FAA employees included maintenance mechanics, environmental compliance workers and technical assistants.

Trump has overseen the reduction in government spending with tech billionaire Elon Musk leading efforts as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Top photo via @flynnstone X