Passengers have been describing the terrifying moment a fire broke out on board their London-bound British Airways plane at Las Vegas airport.People started screaming and rushing to the front of the plane after its take-off on Tuesday was abruptly halted due to the fire, some eyewitnesses said.
All 170 people were quickly led to safety, some with minor injuries. Aviation officials have started an investigation into why the left engine of the Boeing 777-200 caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it has sent a team of investigators to the scene.
General Electric said the plane was powered by two of its GE90 engines and it would also send two of its technical experts to join the investigation.
The company said it was not aware of “any operational issues that would hazard the continued safe flight of aircraft powered by these engines,” stressing that it had an “outstanding safety and reliability record since entering service in 1995”
