American Airlines flight to Dallas-Fort Worth diverts to Denver and catches fire
An American Airlines flight bound for Dallas-Fort Worth airport made a unscheduled landing in Denver on Thursday evening, where an engine fire forced the evacuation of passengers onto a wing.
Flight 1006 from Colorado Springs to DFW landed in Denver around 5 p.m. MT. The aircraft was having engine problems, and the fire erupted as the plane was at a gate.
The airline said in a statement: “After landing safely and taxiing to the gate at Denver International Airport (DEN), American Airlines Flight 1006 experienced an engine-related issue.”
The 172 passengers and six crew members evacuated the Boeing 737 aircraft near the gate. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries; the New York Times reported that six passengers were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Video posted to social media shows passengers scrambling onto a wing of the aircraft as heavy smoke billows from an engine. Crews on the apron are seen scrambling with ladders to help passengers off the wing. The plane’s slides were deployed for use during the evacuation.
“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,” American Airlines said in a statement.
The aircraft is about 12 years old, according to registration data. American’s Boeing 737-800s are typically configured to carry 172 passengers.
American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, has its largest hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The FAA is investigating what caused the fire.
This latest incident comes less than two months after the deadly collision of an American Airlines commuter jet with a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., killing 67 people.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM.
