The nose of a Delta flight caught fire on Monday, May 6 due to an electrical fault, the airline confirms.
Delta Flight 604 had just landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington from Cancun when the incident occurred. The Airbus A321neo was carrying 189 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants, according to the airline.
Surveillance footage of the incident shows the plane safely reaching the exit followed by what appears to be an employee connecting a black wire to the nose of the plane. Black smoke then billows from the front of the plane and red flames erupt.
As the fire and smoke grow, the emergency slide opens at the rear of the aircraft. Passengers then climb onto the wing through the emergency door and exit down the slides before rushing off the plane.
A plane carrying 3 people landed without wheels after suffering a mechanical failure in mid-air
Passengers get out on the wing of the plane.
Port of Seattle/SEA Airport/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a Delta spokesperson said, “During disembarkation on the evening of May 6, the crew of flight 604 from Cancun to Seattle witnessed smoke in the nose area of the aircraft after connecting to ground power.”
They continued: “Out of an abundance of caution, slides were deployed and passengers still on board disembarked through the rear of the aircraft. Passengers were completely evacuated, and those who were disembarked on the ramp returned to the terminal via the steps of the ramp.”
A Delta Flight makes an emergency return to NYC after an evacuation slide falls off the plane
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Firefighters arrive at the scene.
Port of Seattle/SEA Airport/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX
After safely disembarking, all passengers went through regular processing at the International Customs Arrivals Facility, the airline added. The aircraft was then taken out of service to be inspected and undergo maintenance.
The airline also confirmed it had launched an investigation focusing on the ground electrical apparatus, rather than the aircraft, which they say is less than two years old. They add that Delta has around 4,800 average departures per day.
The Delta emergency slide that fell off the plane after takeoff has been found — here’s where the water took it
In April, Delta Flight 520 had to make an emergency return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after an evacuation chute fell from the plane shortly after takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that “the crew reported a vibration” after hearing an unusual sound near the plane’s right wing. The Boeing 767-300ER plane landed safely at the New York airport where it was confirmed that the slide was missing.
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A few days later, the toboggan was found stranded on a pier in Queens, New York.
A spokesperson for the New York City Parks Department told PEOPLE, “On Sunday [April 28]Delta has removed a large piece of debris from the pier near 131 Beach Street.”
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Source: HIS Education