Plane Returns To Gate Safely

It probably looked a lot worse than it actually was, especially to passengers. In any case, emergency workers quickly put out an engine fire onboard a United Airlines (Ted) Airbus A320 as it taxied for takeoff Tuesday morning from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

None of the 138 passengers onboard the short-haul airliner were injured, said KFLL spokesman Steve Belleme. In fact, passengers remained on the aircraft throughout the ordeal, and returned to the gate aboard the plane.

The incident did shut down the main runway at the airport for about 20 minutes, Belleme added.

United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said fire shot out of one of the twinjet's engines due to a compressor stall.

Compressor stalls are a relatively common and benign occurence. The phenomenon is caused by disrupted airflow into the plane's engine(s). The effect on the blades of a turbofan is similar to an aerodynamic stall on a plane's wing.

"It's similar to when a car backfires," McCarthy said.

Passengers onboard the flight to Washington, DC were put on other flights. Maintenance crews will inspect the engine before the plane is returned to service.

FMI: www.united.com