Plane Catches Fire on the Runway at Fort Lauderdale Airport

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 2, 2015

A near-miss at the Fort Lauderdale airport on Thursday sent one person to the hospital and scared dozens of other passengers when their plane caught fire on the runway. A Boeing 767 flight headed to Venezuela was preparing to depart when the crew was alerted by the air traffic control tower that their plane had caught fire. The pilot and crew immediately stopped the plane and evacuated all of the passengers on board – a total of 110 people. One serious injury occurred when a man running from the plane towards the terminal fell and hit his head on the tarmac.

Thursday’s accident could have been much worse, particularly if the plane had taken off prior to the engine catching fire. The flight was operated by a relatively new Venezuelan company called Dynamic. It operates flights between New York, Fort Lauderdale, Venezuela and a handful of other destinations. Officials have expressed concern over the maintenance of Dynamic’s equipment in the wake of this accident, due to the difficulty companies in Venezuela have securing replacement parts for worn out components, a side effect of the country’s struggling economy.

Many passengers who were taken to the terminal after Thursday’s incident voiced frustration over how the situation was handled. Many complained they were held in a room isolated from other air travelers for an extended period of time, with no way to notify others that they had been delayed. Some passengers incurred minor injuries when passengers rushed to exit the plane, though one only was seriously injured.

When travelling long distances away from home, some delays and inconveniences are to be expected. However, serious issues such as a flight evacuation is a situation most travelers do not plan for. Luckily, most of Dynamic’s passengers escaped without injury and returned home without further incident.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident while travelling, please call us today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.