An American Airlines flight bound for Philadelphia suddenly aborted its takeoff at Palm Beach International Airport Thursday afternoon because of a possible fluid leak, sending 14 passengers and three crew members to the hospital.
Pilots for flight 1822 activated emergency chutes to stop the takeoff and ordered the evacuation of the aircraft once it came to a stop, Philly.com reports.
All 133 passengers and five crew members exited the plane via emergency slides shortly after the scheduled takeoff at 3:30 p.m.
Palm Beach County fire officials responded and set up a triage on the tarmac where they treated passengers for exposure to the fluid and other minor injuries passengers sustained after sliding down the emergency slides.
In all, 24 passengers and flight attendants were injured, with 17 transported to local hospitals for minor injuries, a spokesperson for the airline told Philly.com, noting that she could not confirm that a leak or maintenance problem caused the aborted take off.
Passengers tell WPBF-TV that the flight started normally, until they heard squealing tires and smelled a burning odor.
“It was almost like the inside of a paint can, a fume that was crazy,” one woman said. “It was so disgusting.”
Shortly after the sounds and smells began, the pilot told passengers to evacuate.
“Oh, it was very frightening because he was very stern in his voice,” another passenger said. “People started screaming. Everybody’s just like, ‘Get off the plane. Get off the plane.'”
The airline confirmed that the flight was canceled and passengers would be accommodated on other flights.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said.
24 passengers taken to hospital following American Airlines evacuation [WPBF]
Passengers evacuate American Airlines flight bound for PHL after possible leak [Philly.com]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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