Newark Airport Reopens After Engine Fire Grounds United Airlines Flight
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Newark Liberty International Airport was temporarily closed as a United Airlines flight preparing to take off was grounded due to a fire in one of its engines Tuesday evening.
As CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported, total of 124 passengers and seven crew members were on board the taxiing United flight 1579 when the fire broke out in an engine on the right side of the aircraft.
Emergency slides were deployed around 9 p.m. as passengers evacuated the plane originally bound for San Francisco, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters from the Port Authority Police Department worked to bring the blaze under control.
The airport was closed for almost two hours as the Boeing 757 jet was towed to the United hangar and its passengers were shuttled by bus to Terminal C.
Five minor injuries have been reported as the airport has reopened with residual delays, according to the Port Authority.
United Airlines says the redeye flight to San Francisco should take off using a different aircraft just after midnight.
The FAA is investigating exactly how the engine fire started.
