Passengers Evacuated, One Reported Seriously Injured

An engine on a Dynamic Airways Boeing 767-200ER preparing for takeoff from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to Caracas, Venezuela caught fire Thursday, forcing the evacuation of the 101 passengers and crew on board.

Reuters reports that fifteen people were injured in the evacuation, one seriously.

One of the passengers on the plane, 71-year-old Venezuelan rancher Luis Campana, had been sitting near the front of the airplane as the pilot added power to taxi to the active runway. "The engine exploded," Campana said. "As we were getting out of the plane down the chute, the smoke was beginning to enter and the engine was in flames" he said.

The FAA said that the crew of the plane taxiing behind the Dynamic jet warned the crew that their plane was leaking fuel. Former NTSB crash investigator Greg Feith told Reuters that had the incident occurred after the plane took off, it could have been catastrophic. 

Dynamic is based in Greensboro, NC. The carrier said it will investigate the fire. The airline said it has operated wide-body aircraft since 2009. The airline flies from New York's JFK Airport and Fort Lauderdale to Caracas and Maracaibo in Venezuela, as well as Georgetown, Guyana, according to its website.

In a news release, Dynamic said that "after successfully passing required safety, mechanical and operation pre-flight inspections, Dynamic International Airways flight 2D0405 was taxiing and preparing for on time departure from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport to Caracas Simon Bolivar Airport. Flight crew as well as airport personnel noticed engine problem during taxiing and acted according to emergency procedures. Passengers and flight crew were evacuated from the aircraft. Flight DYA405 was carrying 90 passengers as well as crew compliment of 11 people.  [A] minor number of reportedly injured were treated and most of them were released shortly after. We are waiting for more detailed information from relevant parties in order to assure accuracy of the information we are providing.

"The experience of the Captain and First officer were 15700 and 4140 hours respectively. Per initial information the actions of the cabin crew were exemplary and according to their safety training."
 
"Our primary focus is to provide support for the passengers who are at the airport and to any passengers who have been medically treated and/or released. Support received from airport authorities personnel as well as our colleagues from other airlines was tremendous and we would like to use this opportunity to express our gratitude for their help during and after the incident," said Don Dodson Director of Operations at Dynamic International Airways.

Dodson said Dynamic has dispatched a team to assist the NTSB in its investigation. "We would not like to speculate about the potential causes of the incident during the ongoing investigation and all of us at Dynamic are committed to fully cooperating with the NTSB and other authorities. We have activated our Family Assistance Plan and have established a special toll-free number," he said.

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: www.airdynamic.com