American Airlines Boeing 737 catches fire after landing at Denver airport; 12 people injured

DENVER — An American Airlines plane caught fire on the tarmac after landing at Denver International Airport with engine issues Thursday evening, forcing passengers to evacuate the burning aircraft authorities said.

Twelve people were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries after evacuating the Boeing 737-800, airport spokesperson Michael Konopasek said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, the agency said in a social media post Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating, according to a statement on the FAA’s website.

Konopasek said Friday morning that Gate C38 near where the fire took place was still closed while the airport waited on a contractor to confirm the gate had necessary equipment. The airport expects the gate will reopen later in the day Friday and airport operations have otherwise returned to normal, he said.

Flight 1006 departed from Colorado Springs and was headed to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport when it was diverted to Denver after the crew reported “engine vibrations,” according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The crew told air traffic controllers shortly before landing that the plane was experiencing “high engine vibrations” and was “cruising slower than normal” in a recording published on LiveATC.net.

Tracking data from Flight Aware shows the 737 left Colorado Springs at 4:52 p.m., diverted at 5:14 p.m. and landed in Denver at 5:55 p.m.

The plane landed safely and was taxiing when it experienced “an engine-related issue,” American Airlines spokesperson Brian Metham said in a statement.

The aircraft was at Gate C38 when the fire started around 6 p.m., Konopasek said. Passengers were quickly evacuated with slides and the fire was extinguished, he said.

There were 172 passengers and six crew members on board, he said.