Dramatic new video shows a Delta plane bursting into flames after landing at Seattle-Tacoma Airport on Monday, May 6.
Footage shows the nose of the Airbus A321neo glowing red and emitting smoke after flying from Cancun, Mexico.
The 189 passengers were rushed out through the wing’s emergency exit and told to use the emergency slides to the runway.
Ashwin Menon, a passenger on the troubled plane, told KOMO News that he remembers hearing the flight attendants say over the intercom, “Leave your belongings, unbuckle your seatbelt and head to the exits.”
“I think people responded to that with panic, there was a little bit of jostling in the hallways to get to the exit,” Menon told KOMO News, which got the terrifying video. “But overall it was a pretty smooth evacuation process.”
Surveillance video obtained by KOMO News shows the nose area of a Delta airliner bursting into flames shortly after landing at Seattle-Tacoma Airport on Monday night last week.
An airport spokesperson revealed that the fire started when an electrical cable plugged into the plane shorted.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the fire could have been caused by a “ground power unit.”
There were no major injuries as a result of the incident, although Menon said he saw a few people get hurt while going down the emergency slide, including one woman who sprained her ankle.
“Once I got off the flight, I could see the fire burning right below the cabin,” Menon said. “I was glad everyone could understand it.”
The Port of Seattle Fire Department arrived after the fire was extinguished, officials said, although firefighters still sprayed water on the charred area.
Delta issued a statement to address concerns related to the fire, which is shown burning for several minutes on surveillance video.
‘During disembarkation on Monday night, the crew of Flight 604 from Cancun to Seattle witnessed smoke in the nose area of the aircraft after connecting to the ground power grid.
“Out of an abundance of caution, slides were deployed and passengers still on board disembarked through the rear of the aircraft,” the company wrote.
Delta also revealed that the Airbus plane was less than two years old.
Passengers of the Airbus A321neo are seen evacuating. They climb onto the right wing of the plane, before sliding down the emergency slide just behind.
According to officials, passengers returned to the terminal via a ramp to a loading bridge.
Menon said after waiting in the terminal they were sent to U.S. Customs and were able to leave about an hour later.
The next morning, Delta emailed an apology, sending him some airline miles for the inconvenience.
Menon thanked all the rescuers and the flight crew for guiding the passengers through the unexpected situation, adding that he was glad this did not happen in the air.
“This stays in the mind a little bit, I’m glad it happened on the ground and at the gate, it’s the best place to wait for an evacuation,” he said.
