A Delta flight packed with over 200 folks taking off from Atlanta had to call off the launch due to a problem with one of its engines and ended up using the emergency slides to get everyone out safely.
“On takeoff, something went wrong and [an] engine caught fire,” passenger Curtis James shared with CNN. “Had to emergency evacuate the plane.” Footage from the scene captured passengers hustling through the snow on the tarmac, making a quick escape from the grounded plane. According to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, four people suffered “minor” injuries, with three of them getting treated right there on site.
“Delta’s flight crew followed established procedures to suspend the takeoff of flight 2668 from Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) after an indication of an engine issue,” Delta told CNBC. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers, and we apologize to our customers for their experience. We are working to support our customers and get them to their destinations as safely and quickly as possible.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is keeping an eye on what went down but hasn’t kicked off an official investigation just yet.
RELATED: Delta Airlines Stowaway Arrested Again For Trying to Leave The US
The intense emergency evacuation unfolded while Atlanta’s airport was dealing with a wave of delays thanks to some heavy snowfall. On Friday, Hartsfield-Jackson saw 489 delays and 987 cancellations, according to FlightAware. Almost half of the flights leaving the airport today got canceled, as a ground stop was in place for a good chunk of the morning.