newswatcher
14th Jun 2001, 14:46
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"A fire broke out in an engine on a Midwest Express airplane as it accelerated for takeoff Tuesday afternoon, forcing cancellation of the flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Emergency crews doused the plane with fire-suppressing foam, and 104 passengers were removed while the damaged MD-80 aircraft sat on the runway. No one was injured.
Midwest Express agents met the passengers after they were bused back to the terminal and made other transportation arrangements.
Passengers interviewed in the terminal said they heard a loud popping sound as the plane taxied down the runway about 3:30 p.m. The plane quickly came to a stop, and the pilot reported the failure of the left engine to passengers.
"They asked us to clear the aisle, and then it was like we were at the car wash," said Eric Johnson, 38, of New York City. "I thought it was an odd time to be washing the plane."
Johnson said the pilot then announced that the fire had been extinguished.
Lisa Bailey, director of communications for Midwest Express Airlines, said the fire was contained within the engine itself. Crews from the National Transportation Safety Board and Midwest Express are checking the plane to determine the cause of the fire.
The airline recently bought three used MD-80 airplanes from SAS Scandinavian Airlines and added them to its fleet.
Another Midwest Express flight was forced to return to Milwaukee on Saturday after an "acidic smell" was detected in the cabin, Bailey said.
That flight, to Las Vegas, turned back over Dubuque, Iowa. An inspection did not determine the origin of the odor.
That plane is back in service, she said."
"A fire broke out in an engine on a Midwest Express airplane as it accelerated for takeoff Tuesday afternoon, forcing cancellation of the flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Emergency crews doused the plane with fire-suppressing foam, and 104 passengers were removed while the damaged MD-80 aircraft sat on the runway. No one was injured.
Midwest Express agents met the passengers after they were bused back to the terminal and made other transportation arrangements.
Passengers interviewed in the terminal said they heard a loud popping sound as the plane taxied down the runway about 3:30 p.m. The plane quickly came to a stop, and the pilot reported the failure of the left engine to passengers.
"They asked us to clear the aisle, and then it was like we were at the car wash," said Eric Johnson, 38, of New York City. "I thought it was an odd time to be washing the plane."
Johnson said the pilot then announced that the fire had been extinguished.
Lisa Bailey, director of communications for Midwest Express Airlines, said the fire was contained within the engine itself. Crews from the National Transportation Safety Board and Midwest Express are checking the plane to determine the cause of the fire.
The airline recently bought three used MD-80 airplanes from SAS Scandinavian Airlines and added them to its fleet.
Another Midwest Express flight was forced to return to Milwaukee on Saturday after an "acidic smell" was detected in the cabin, Bailey said.
That flight, to Las Vegas, turned back over Dubuque, Iowa. An inspection did not determine the origin of the odor.
That plane is back in service, she said."