Chaos erupted at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday morning. A United Airlines flight to New York City caught fire during takeoff! Flames and smoke burst from the right wing, forcing an emergency evacuation.
Flight 1382 was rolling down the runway around 8:30 a.m. when disaster struck. Suddenly, an engine warning flashed. The Airbus A319 came to an abrupt stop. Onboard, panic spread like wildfire.
A terrified passenger captured the moment. Flames shot from the wing! “Please, please, get us out of here!” someone cried. The video, obtained by KPRC-TV, shows the terrifying scene as the plane came to a halt.
Emergency evacuation!
Firefighters rushed to the scene. The crew ordered an evacuation. Passengers scrambled down emergency slides and stairs. The Houston Fire Department assisted as travelers gathered on the tarmac.
United Airlines confirmed 104 passengers and five crew members were on board. Miraculously, no one was hurt. The airline quickly arranged another plane. By 2:00 p.m., stranded travelers were back en route to New York.
Too many crashes, too many fears!
The scare comes amid growing aviation concerns. Just this year, two deadly crashes rocked the nation. A midair collision in Washington, D.C., left no survivors. A Philadelphia jet crash killed seven. With safety fears at an all-time high, passengers were understandably shaken.
What happened?
The FAA is investigating. Officials say the plane “received an indication about one engine.” But what caused the fire? Was it a freak accident? A mechanical failure? Answers remain unclear.
Ashlyn Sharp, a passenger, shared her terrifying experience. “I was trying to sleep when I heard a loud noise. The plane shook. Then I saw fire!” she recalled. She managed to stay calm—until others panicked. “People started screaming, rushing, crying. It was a nightmare!”
Sharp’s video shows a flight attendant urging passengers to remain seated. But fear took over. “The crew finally let us evacuate when they realized we weren’t staying put,” she said.
After the evacuation, passengers waited 2.5 hours on the tarmac. Emergency crews swarmed the area. Shuttle buses finally took travelers back to safety.
“Hopefully, it was just a freak accident,” Sharp said. “I’m just glad everyone is okay.”
For now, investigators are searching for answers. But one thing is certain—this was a flight no one will forget!
