A United Airlines flight bound for New York City was evacuated Sunday morning at George Bush Intercontinental Airport after reporting engine problems during takeoff, federal aviation officials said.
The incident occurred around 8:35 a.m. local time when United Flight 1382’s crew “safely aborted its takeoff” due to an engine issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. All 104 passengers and five crew members were safely evacuated using slides and stairs.
“During takeoff, United flight 1382 received an indication about one engine and halted the takeoff while still on the runway,” a United Airlines spokesperson said. Passengers were bused to the terminal and rebooked on an afternoon flight to LaGuardia Airport.
The Houston Fire Department responded but found no active fire despite social media videos showing smoke and flames from the aircraft’s wing. “When our units arrived, there was no fire to put out,” the department stated.
The FAA has launched an investigation into the incident, which comes amid a series of aviation emergencies in recent days.
On Friday, a Medevac jet crash in Philadelphia killed seven people and injured more than 20 others. Earlier in the week, an American Airlines passenger plane collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., resulting in 67 fatalities.
Adding to aviation concerns, the FAA’s Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) system experienced a temporary outage Saturday. The system, which provides critical safety information to pilots and flight crews, resumed operations Sunday morning using contingency protocols.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the NOTAM system issues on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, acknowledging the aging infrastructure needs upgrading.
The FAA maintains these incidents are under separate investigations as they work to ensure aviation safety across the national airspace system.
