CHICAGO _ An American Airlines flight bound for Miami caught fire on a runway at O'Hare International Airport Friday afternoon as it was taking off, officials said.
The pilot of Flight 383, a Boeing B767, aborted the take-off around 2:35 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Passengers were taken off through emergency chutes, it said.
Video footage from the scene shows passengers sliding down chutes on the left side of the plane while flames and thick black smoke billows from the right wing.
Many of the passengers can be seen running across a grass median, some lugging their bags. Some passengers gather a distance away and watch as fire trucks circle the plane.
"F------ crazy, man," one passenger is heard saying. "I'm never f------ flying again." People around him are heard laughing.
After the fire was out, the blackened right wing can be seen sagging and touching the tarmac.
The FAA said the problem started with a blown tire, but American Airlines said in a statement the take-off was aborted "due to an engine-related mechanical issue."
"The 161 passengers and nine crew deplaned on the runway, and buses are en route to pick up the passengers and bring them back to the terminal," the airline said.
There was no immediate word on injuries.
Several runways were closed.
