Spirit Airlines flight catches fire on landing at Atlanta airport
ATLANTA - Passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight from Tampa to Atlanta Sunday morning are safe after the plane caught fire during the landing process, airport officials said.
Video shows flames and smoke coming from underneath Spirit Airlines flight 383 after it landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to Spirit Airlines, a brake overheated upon landing at the airport around 9:25 a.m., causing a small fire. First responders were quickly able to extinguish the flames. The aircraft was towed to the gate D2 where airport officials said passengers got off the plane safely.
No one was injured.
Scottie Nelms was aboard the plane and told FOX 5 everything was fine when they took off, but things changed.
"Once we landed it made a weird noise from the left side of the plane. Nobody knew what it was until we stopped completely in the middle of the landing strip," Nelms told FOX 5. "We saw a flame coming from the engine and people and myself started freaking out."
Video taken from a passenger aboard a separate plane shows the aircraft stopped on the tarmac with smoke coming from underneath it. Flames could be seen coming from the left rear wheel of the plane.
Another video taken from inside the plane shows passengers seated and standing wondering what is happening. Flight attendants can be heard on the plane's loudspeaker instructing passengers that they do not need to evacuate and to remain in their seats.
In a statement to FOX 5, Spirit Airlines said the plane would temporarily be removed from service for maintenance.