ORLANDO, Fla. — 282 passengers on a Delta flight from Orlando to Atlanta had to be evacuated because of a fire before takeoff.
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) confirmed 3 minor injuries during the evacuation.
“I hear someone yelling fire, so I open my window shade, and I see the engine is on fire, there’s smoke the planes up and then they cut the engine of the plane.” Kyle Becker says he was on Delta flight 1213 to Atlanta when someone screamed fire, as he was about to fall asleep.
According to a Delta spokesperson, the fire started in the tailpipe of one of the plane’s two engines. Kyle says, “I tried to stay calm, but my adrenaline was through the roof. I stayed as calm as I could, and my instinct was to grab my things and follow directions, and it was definitely a crazy experience.”
Delta released the following statement: “We appreciate our customers’ cooperation and apologize for the experience. Nothing is more important than safety, and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible.”
We asked Kyle if it was organized, as they evacuated down the slides.
“As organized as it could be anytime you have that many people and some people handle it differently than others and so there’s only so much control you can bring.”
While it was nerve-racking, he says going down the big slide was fun.
Delta says there were no reported injuries.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
