There has been yet another airline incident that could have resulted in disaster. An American Airlines jet was engulfed in smoke on the tarmac at Denver International Airport Thursday afternoon.
The 172 passengers and crew were evacuated but 12 people suffered minor injuries and were treated at area hospitals.
The video clip of a local TV news report shows American Airlines Flight 1006 covered in smoke. In the clip, aviation professor Steve Cowell said the footage appears to show the flames on the ground and not coming from the aircraft.
The flight was diverted
However, there likely was some kind of problem aboard the aircraft, which was on a flight from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth when vibration in an engine caused it to be diverted to Denver. According to later reports, an engine caught fire as the plane taxied to the gate.
Data suggest that incidents involving airliners may not be increasing but the public is being made aware of them thanks to social media and the 24-hour news cycle.
However, aviation industry experts say incidents involving commercial aircraft can be attributed to these factors:
Aging infrastructure: Some concerns exist about the age and maintenance of air traffic control systems and aircraft.
Workforce issues: There has been recent scrutiny of potential workforce shortages and the experience levels of aviation professionals.
Environmental factors: Changing weather patterns and increased extreme weather events can pose challenges to aviation safety.
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