July 09--About 143 passengers and five crew members were safely evacuated after a Southwest Airlines plane aborted its takeoff from Midway Airport when one of its engines caught fire Wednesday night, fire officials said.
Southwest Airlines 3299 was headed down the runway around 10:45 p.m. when smoke and sparks started coming from the right engine, according to Southwest Airlines and fire officials.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Cmdr. Frank Velez said the engine had caught fire, but the cause of the fire was not known.
Six ambulances were dispatched to the plane as part of the response, along with fire equipment, Velez said.
No one was injured and everyone exited the plane without incident, he said.
Another airplane was scheduled to take the passengers to Boston early Thursday, according to Southwest Airlines officials.
Check back for updates.
