(UnitedHeadlines.com) – On Dec. 10, 189 passengers needed to evacuate a Ryanair flight on the runway of the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport after smoke filled the cabin when the pilots fired up the engine before takeoff.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was preparing to depart for Krakow, Poland. At the time of the incident, Buzz, a Poland-based partner of the Irish discount carrier Ryanair was operating the flight.
A video posted to Twitter shows a chaotic scene as passengers exit the plane using the inflatable emergency slides deployed at the plane’s doors. Passengers reportedly urged the crew members to open the doors to allow them to escape as the smoke filled the cabin. In the video, emergency vehicles surround the aircraft on the tarmac while first responders and airport employees help passengers evacuate.
A passenger described the incident as “highly traumatic.”
First responders used thermal imaging technology, which detected increased heat within the aircraft. Firefighters had to make their way through thick smoke within the plane while attempting to control the blaze.
While the incident is under investigation, there have been no reports of passenger injuries.
Buzz airline engineers were inspecting the aircraft, according to a statement by a Ryanair spokesperson. After a report of fumes in the cabin, passengers were evacuated and returned to the terminal “as a precaution.”
The spokesperson added that passengers received vouchers, and a plane was also rerouted to the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in order to transport them to their original destination.
Ryanair has had other unusual incidents this year. In July, some passengers on board a Ryanair flight to Italy passed out after being stranded on the runway with no air conditioning in over 100-degree heat after a 10-hour delay. In September, environmental protesters in Brussels pelted Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary with a pie. The climate activist struck O’Leary with the pie as he prepared to speak outside the European Commission.
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