Pilot’s Words to Air Traffic Controller Before Plane Catches Fire Has Been Released
- The haunting words of an American Airlines pilot moments before flight AA 1006 burst into flames revealed how quickly the situation escalated into an emergency
- After initially reporting "high engine vibrations," the pilot's tone changed dramatically upon landing at Denver International Airport, where the engine caught fire, prompting a "Mayday" call and an evacuation
- Passengers were seen fleeing via the aircraft's wing as emergency services responded swiftly to the incident
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Denver, USA – The haunting words of an American Airlines pilot moments before the plane burst into flames have revealed how suddenly flight AA 1006 escalated into an all-out emergency.
Air traffic control recordings released on March 14, 2025, showed that the pilot was not initially too worried when asked to confirm that mid-air engine trouble was 'not an emergency'.
Source: Getty Images
"Nah, we just have a high engine vibration so we are cruising slower than normal," the pilot responded, according to a Live Air Traffic recording.
Emergency landing and evacuation
The pilot's nonchalance quickly changed when the plane made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. on March 13.
"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Mayday! … engine fire!" someone on the radio can be heard yelling. Terrified passengers were seen fleeing via the wing of the aircraft as smoke billowed from the plane.
Series of recent aviation incidents
This narrow escape is the latest in a series of crashes and near misses involving US passenger jets.
Just weeks earlier, 67 people were killed when another American Airlines plane collided with a helicopter over Washington, DC.
This week's flight AA 1006 had only been in the air for a short period after departing from Colorado Springs Airport at 4:52 p.m. and heading to Dallas.
The crew had initially reported engine vibrations before the pilot landed the aircraft at 5:15 p.m.
Engine fire and response
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the engine caught fire as passengers evacuated the aircraft.
Emergency slides were deployed, and passengers were seen standing on the edge of the plane's wings while smoke billowed around them.
Emergency services were seen dousing the plane in water while it remained at Terminal C of the airport. One man was seen clutching onto a woman as they carefully navigated the wobbly wing of the aircraft. Some passengers escaped the plane by climbing down a ladder.
Fortunately, there were no deaths, and only 12 individuals were transported to a local hospital, according to the Denver Fire Department.
Statements and ongoing investigation
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was carrying 172 passengers and six crew members. "After landing safely and taxiing to the gate at Denver International Airport (DEN), American Airlines Flight 1006 experienced an engine-related issue," American Airlines said in a statement.
"The 172 customers and six crew members deplaned and are being relocated to the terminal. We thank our crew members, DEN team, and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority."
Source: UGC
Recent aviation crashes and near misses
This incident marks the latest headline in a string of aviation crashes this year. Less than a month after 67 people died on an American Airlines flight in DC, a Delta passenger plane crashed-landed upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
Miraculously, everyone on board survived after they were suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for several minutes. The plane had been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport with 76 passengers and four crew members on board.
Around 20 people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries, and Delta offered each person a no-strings $30,000 payout in compensation.
On Sunday, another jet crash-landed in a parking lot of a suburban Pennsylvania retirement home. Dramatic footage showed the Beechcraft A36TC erupting in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township.
Five people were rushed to hospital. Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the plane and nearby vehicles. The plane had taken off as scheduled on Sunday afternoon but quickly requested to land back on the tarmac because its door had opened.
Aeroplane crashed near DC and killed 64 people
Legit.ng earlier reported that the final words of Jonathan Campos, the pilot of the doomed American Airlines jet that crashed and killed 64 people, have been released.
34-year-old Campos had expressed his excitement about an upcoming family cruise as he boarded the plane before the devastating crash.
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Source: Legit.ng
