American Airlines Plane Catches Fire at Denver International Airport, Prompting Dramatic Evacuation

March 18, 2025 – A terrifying ordeal unfolded at Denver International Airport (DIA) on the evening of Thursday, March 13, when an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 caught fire after landing, forcing 172 passengers and six crew members to evacuate under chaotic conditions. The incident, which saw passengers scrambling onto the plane’s wing and sliding down emergency chutes amid thick black smoke and visible flames, has reignited concerns about aviation safety following a string of recent incidents across the United States.

The flight, American Airlines Flight 1006, had taken off from Colorado Springs Airport at 4:52 p.m., bound for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Approximately 20 minutes into the journey, the crew reported unusual engine vibrations, prompting a diversion to Denver. According to air traffic control audio, the pilot initially downplayed the severity, stating, “We just have a high engine vibration, so we are cruising slower than normal,” and confirming it was not an emergency. The plane landed safely at DIA around 5:15 p.m. local time, but the situation deteriorated rapidly as it taxied to gate C38.

Witnesses described a sudden escalation as the aircraft approached the gate. “We smelled this weird burning plastic smell, and then everybody started screaming and saying there was a fire,” passenger Gabrielle Hibbitts told reporters. Videos circulating on social media captured the harrowing scene: bright orange flames licking the right engine, thick smoke billowing across the tarmac, and passengers fleeing onto the left wing or down inflatable slides. One passenger, Ingrid Hibbitts, recounted the panic as her family was separated during the evacuation, with flames visible outside her window and the cabin filling with smoke.

Ground crews responded swiftly, extinguishing the blaze within minutes, though not before twelve passengers sustained minor injuries. These individuals were transported to local hospitals, including University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, where they were treated and released. American Airlines praised the rapid response of its crew, DIA staff, and first responders, stating, “We thank our crew members, DEN team, and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations to determine the cause of the fire. Preliminary reports suggest the issue originated with one of the plane’s CFM56 engines, manufactured by CFM International. The aircraft, built in 2012, had been in service for over a decade, raising questions about maintenance and wear. Experts note that engine fires, while rare, are typically manageable in flight due to a plane’s ability to operate on a single engine. However, the transition from vibrations to an on-ground blaze remains a critical point of inquiry.

This incident marks the latest in a troubling series of aviation mishaps in 2025. Just weeks prior, a Delta Air Lines flight crashed and flipped over in Toronto, and in January, a midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., claimed 67 lives. These events have fueled public unease, though experts like Steven Wallace, former FAA accident investigations director, emphasize that flying remains statistically safe. “A pilot could fly for 30 years and never experience an engine failure,” Wallace noted, highlighting the rarity of such incidents.

For passengers like Hani Levi, a former military airplane mechanic, the experience was a stark reminder of aviation’s unpredictability. “I saw smoke, then fire—it was chaos,” she said. American Airlines arranged a replacement aircraft to ferry the stranded travelers to Dallas in the early hours of Friday, but the psychological toll lingers. As the FAA and NTSB delve into the incident, the focus will be on whether mechanical failure, human error, or an unforeseen factor turned a routine diversion into a fiery spectacle—one that left passengers running for their lives through smoke and flames on a Denver tarmac.