A recently surfaced video of passengers evacuating an American Airlines flight at Denver International Airport has sparked concerns of people prioritizing luggage over safety and disregarding evacuation procedures.
“3023’s aborting on the runway. … Fire on the left side,” the American Airlines pilot can be heard saying in an air traffic control recording obtained by Denver7.
Video shared by Denver7 of the evacuation shows passengers sliding down the rubber slide, many holding their carry-on bags and several struggling to balance their luggage with their children.
“In the unlikely event of an evacuation, leave all carry-ons behind and follow the lights quickly and safely to the nearest exit,” American Airlines officials state in the airline’s safety briefing played at the beginning of each flight.
The video, which shows passengers violating those safety instructions, led to backlash online.
One passenger told Denver7 that everyone on the plane was told not to grab anything. When people continued to collect their bags, it derailed the evacuation process.
Part of the plane’s landing gear caught on fire during its departure from Denver International Airport on Saturday, according to Denver7’s reporting.
The Miami-bound American Airlines flight 3023 reported a “maintenance issue” with an airplane tire about 2:45 p.m. and aborted takeoff, airline and federal officials said.
Only one of the 173 passengers and six crew members onboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Airport officials said Saturday that five others were evaluated on scene but not taken to the hospital.
After hearing a loud “boom,” the plane “started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,” Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, told The Associated Press in an interview.
Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened.
“I started grabbing my friend’s hands, I was like ‘Oh my God,’ and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,” she said. “It was just terrifying.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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