LAS VEGAS — An engine on a London-bound British Airways jet caught fire Tuesday while the plane was preparing to take off from Las Vegas, shooting flames from the side of the jet and forcing passengers to escape on emergency slides.
Black smoke and orange flames poured from under the plane’s wings, sending passengers fleeing from the aircraft and across the tarmac before about 50 firefighters doused the aircraft.
All 159 passengers and 13 crew members aboard Flight 2276 were able to get off the plane, said McCarran International Airport spokesman Chris Jones.
Fire officials said 14 people were taken to Sunrise Hospital by early Tuesday evening for minor injuries, most a result of sliding down the inflatable chutes to escape.
The Federal Aviation Administration delayed flights to Las Vegas from some airports, including Denver International Airport, for more than two hours after the fire to slow the flow of planes while the disabled Boeing 777 made two of the airport’s four runways inaccessible.
One of the runways reopened after about 2½ hours.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the left engine of the twin-engine plane caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board was collecting information about the incident, said Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the agency.
Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Jon Klassen said the cause of the fire wasn’t clear yet, but the fire didn’t appear to breach the cabin.
The Boeing 777-200, popular with airlines for its fuel efficiency for long-haul flights, was bound for Gatwick Airport near London.
