Wing of United Airlines plane catches fire, passengers evacuated

All passengers were evacuated safely after a wing on a United Airlines plane caught fire. Photo / 123rf

Passengers were forced to evacuate after the right wing of a United Airlines jet caught on fire on the runway.

On Sunday, United Airlines flight 1382 was preparing for take-off from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, bound for New York City.

The US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) said an engine issue was reported about 8.35am.

Video of the incident circulating on social media shows the right wing of the Airbus A319 on fire.

“You cannot take your bags with you. You have to leave it right here,” a crew member can be heard saying in a TikTok video shared on Monday.

“It’s on fire,” one passenger can be heard saying.

Another passenger cried: “Please, please, please get us out of here.”

Warning: Obscene language

@blondieashlynnn

What is going on with all the planes in the US right now 😭 #airlines #plane

♬ original sound - Ashlyn

The footage also showed a passenger going down the emergency evacuation slide with aviation crew and emergency services nearby.

“Passengers deplaned on the runway and were bussed to the terminal,” said the FAA, which is investigating the incident.

It’s the latest in a string of aviation disasters in the US during the past week.

On Saturday, a medical plane carrying six Mexican citizens crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood.

The FAA said a Learjet 55 crashed after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

Airlines Flight reported a young girl who was in the US for medical treatment, her mother, and flight and medical crew were killed in the crash.

Last Thursday, a passenger aircraft operated by an American Airlines subsidiary collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, marking it the deadliest US air disaster in more than 20 years.

On American Airlines flight 5342 there were 64 people on board and three in the helicopter. All of them were killed in the tragedy.

According to National Public Radio, officials have been able to recover 55 bodies so far and are still removing debris.