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Dynamic Airways plane catches fire at Florida airport
- passengers injured
The damaged plane.
The engine of a Caracas, Venezuela-bound Boeing 767 caught fire while the plane taxied for departure Thursday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, a US Federal Aviation Administration official said.
The pilot of an aircraft traveling behind Dynamic International Airways Flight 405 reported fuel was leaking from the aircraft before it caught fire, the official said. The fire occurred about 12:30 p.m. on the airport’s north runway.
Passengers evacuated the jet via emergency slides onto the taxiway.
The airport was closed as emergency officials responded, airport spokesman Allan Siegel said.
Audio from the air traffic control tower caught one of the pilots saying, “The left engine looks like it’s leaking a lot of fuel. There is fluid leaking out of the left engine.”
Fewer than 30 seconds later, as the tower was contacting the ramp so the Dynamic jet could return to the airport, a pilot said, “Engine’s on fire. Engine’s on fire.”
Images and video from passengers who were at the airport or on other planes showed plumes of dark gray smoke billowing from the red-and-white jet.
An ambulance, fire truck and other emergency vehicles were on the scene in one of those photos, while another witness posted video of emergency responders dousing the plane with hoses.
A spokesman with the Broward Sheriff’s Office tweeted that there was an engine fire, the plane was evacuated and there were “several injuries.”
Amy Erez of the Broward Health Medical Center told CNN that doctors there were expecting six to 10 individuals to be transported to the hospital.
The Broward Sheriff Office’s Department of Fire Rescue told CNN affiliate WSVN-TV that seven people were injured, and three of those required hospitalization.
Two calls to Dynamic International Airways’ headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, were both met with “no comment” on the fire.
According to an FAA database, the plane was built in 1986.
Dynamic also flies the New York to Georgetown route.
Yesterday, a statement from Roraima Airways, Dynamic’s local operators in Guyana, said that the incident occurred while the plane was taxiing for an on-time departure from Fort Lauderdale to Caracas.
“Dynamic International Airways Crew became aware of an engine problem. The crew followed the emergency procedures, shut down the engine and evacuated the aircraft in order to assure safety to all on board.”
Roraima said that the company is conducting initial investigation and will issue further information once available.
“Safety of our passengers and crew members is the first priority of Dynamic International Airways. Dynamic International Airways is currently arranging accommodation and transportation for all passengers impacted by today’s flight disruption. Airline expects to continue operation as per the schedule starting tomorrow October 30th 2015 (today).”
Dynamic Airways is a US Certificated FAR PART 121 AIR CARRIER. The airline changed ownership and management in 2013 with the goal of providing high quality, affordable, long haul, point-to-point air service.
Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the airline recently revealed its new branding and website and now offers service between New York and Guyana, Orlando and Brazil, as well as service between Hong Kong and Palau.
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