United Airlines plane engine catches fire on runway in Houston, ‘panic’ video goes viral

A United Airlines plane's engine caught fire on the runway in Houston during takeoff, prompting an emergency response and passenger evacuation. All passengers and the crew members were evacuated via slides and stairs after an engine problem caused a huge fire in the right engine of the jetliner. Some videos showing passengers shouting in panic emerged on social media.

A passenger's video showed orange flames and smoke spewing from the wing as it sped down the runway. Some panicked passengers were heard shouting, “Please, please, get us out of here.”

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United Airlines catches fire: Watch video

The United Airlines flight was carrying 104 passengers and five crewmembers to New York City's LaGuardia Airport and was about to takeoff when the fire incident happened. Also Read | Teen skater’s Team USA dream before fatal DC plane crash: 14-year-old Everly Livingston’s final heartfelt words

"Passengers deplaned on the runway via a combination of slides and stairs and were bused to the terminal. We lined up a different aircraft to take customers to their destination at 2:00 pm CT” the airline said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that United Airlines flight 1382 to New York City was halted while still on the runway shortly after 8:30 am at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the main airport at Houston.

There were no injuries and passengers were bused back to the terminal, the FAA said. The FAA also said that the incident of an engine catching fire at Houston airport would be investigated.

The incident comes days after an American Airlines aircraft collided with an Army aircraft over Washington DC, killing everyone onboard. And in Philadelphia, a small jet crashed in a busy neighborhood, killing seven people.