Passengers Evacuate Delta Flight After Aborted Takeoff in Snowy Atlanta
Watch how everyone had to evacuate Delta Flight after a failed takeoff due to snow in Atlanta.
Engine Issue Leads to an Emergency Evacuation
More than 200 people on Delta Air Lines had to be evacuated on Friday morning in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Atlanta after the aircraft failed to take off due to an engine problem. Emergency slides were opened on the Boeing 757-300, and people got out onto the snowy plane’s surface. Four employees were injured, one was taken to the hospital, and the other three were given first-aid treatment.
Passenger Accounts
Curtis James, a passenger on the flight, captured a photo of the evacuation and recounted the moment to CNN:
“On takeoff, something went wrong and the engine caught fire. We had to evacuate the plane.”
Allison Wade, another passenger who was on the plane also shared a video of the issuing of smoke from the plane.“There’s smoke still billowing out of there,” Wade said in the video. “We’re standing out here in the snow.”
Airline and Airport Response
Delta said the flight crew followed standard operating procedures to abort the takeoff due to an engine problem. Flight 2668, bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul came to a stop halfway down the runway around 9:10 a.m.
The FAA is looking into the matter while the NTSB is observing but they have not opened an investigation on the occurrence.
Impact of Winter Weather
Even during such weather, Everybody wants to get to their destination, and the snowy conditions in Atlanta led to operational challenges at the airport, in addition to 400 plus flights canceled by 11 am ET Friday. Delta blamed the poor deicing performance and delay on the heavy snowfall that was expected.
Passenger Safety and Apology
Passengers’ safety was the focus that Delta constantly underlined. Company spokesperson Morgan Durrant said, “We apologize to our customers for their experience and are working to support them in reaching their destinations as safely and quickly as possible.”
Continued Disruptions
By the middle of the day, Delta had already canceled around 500 flights. The airline compensated the affected passengers by telling them they could make new reservations without paying extra fees while they warned consumers that more cancellations could still take place.
The case demonstrates the problems in making air travel safe in extreme weather conditions while demonstrating the effective actions of the flight crew and employees of the terminal.
