At least four people were injured when a Delta Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis aborted takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Friday morning, airport officials said.
About 200 passengers were evacuated from the plane using an emergency slide, and some were seen running through the snow to leave the plane, according to footage obtained by the airline and CBS affiliate WANF. Delta spokeswoman Morgan Durant said the plane had an engine problem.
The incident occurred during a snowstorm that caused widespread cancellations and delays at Atlanta Airport, the world’s busiest airport. But authorities could not say whether the problem was weather-related.
CBS News
The 201 passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants on board were able to escape from the Boeing 757-300 using an inflatable slide and return to the concourse by bus. One of the injured passengers was taken to hospital and three others were treated at the airport for minor injuries.
Durant said the flight crew “followed established procedures for suspending takeoff.”
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees and customers, and we apologize for putting our customers through this experience,” Durant said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting our customers and getting them to their destination as safely and quickly as possible.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate.
Five runways at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were closed at least temporarily Friday, and Delta Air Lines announced at noon Friday that about 500 flights had already been canceled at the airport. The airline said in a news release that the snow “started falling earlier than expected and was intense, reducing deicing capacity and delaying operations.”
Delta Air Lines said customers can rebook without paying additional fees and more flights may be canceled or rescheduled.
