Airliner returns to St. Louis after fire

American Airlines jet lands safely; no injuries reported

MSNBC video

Passenger: 'This is not a safe situation'
Sept. 28: Lane Howard, a passenger aboard an American Airline flight that landed safely in St. Louis after an engine fire, tells MSNBC's Nora O'Donnell about the ordeal.

MSNBC

updated 5:45 p.m. ET Sept. 28, 2007

An engine on an American Airlines jet caught fire Friday during a flight to Chicago, forcing the pilots to return to St. Louis and evacuate the aircraft on the runway.

There were no reports of injuries aboard the MD-80 jet, said Jeff Lea, spokesman for Lambert Airport.

All 137 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants left the plane safely after it turned back to Lambert and landed, said Tim Wagner, spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Flight 1400 reported engine problems sometime after takeoff and landed at 1:40 p.m. CDT. Passengers walked down a staircase to the runway after emergency crews extinguished the fire with flame-retardant foam.

American Airlines maintenance will look at the aircraft and try to determine what caused the fire, Wagner said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending at least two investigators, including a jet engine specialist, agency spokesman Peter Knudson said.

Don't miss these Travel stories from msnbc.com
Top 10 national park lodges
Traveler's song about United Airlines a hit
Road warriors: Unleash your inner geek
Look before you leap and other useful lessons
French travelers ranked as world’s worst