CHICAGO – Sheer panic erupted on an American Airlines flight after part of the plane went up in flames during takeoff at O’Hare Friday; luckily both passengers and crew escaped the aircraft with only minor injuries.
Gary Schiavone was flying to Miami with his wife to visit their daughter, sitting in row 31 near the back of the plane when he heard the explosion.
“First it was a clunk, after the clunk the explosion, and then the plane stopped real fast and we all started exiting,” Schiavone said. “Right now I just want to get home.”
American Airlines Flight 383 aborted takeoff due to an “engine-related mechanical issue,” the company said.
“You hear a loud blast on the right side people start screaming there was fire and smoke coming in,” said Hector Cardenas, who was sitting in the front of the plane.
As you can imagine, it was a bit chaotic evacuating the plane–but all 161 passengers, 9 crew members, and a dog–made it off safely in less than two minutes. READ MORE
