Supreme Court Justice Among SFO-Bound Plane Evacuees
WASHINGTON (CBS SF) - Three people were injured Wednesday when a United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco had to be evacuated on the taxiway at Washington Dulles International Airport because of engine problems. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was among those evacuated.
United Flight 586 was getting ready to take off for San Francisco International Airport around 12:45 p.m. EST when a problem with the plane's engine was reported, said Tara Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees operations at Dulles airport.
The pilot deployed the plane's chute, and all passengers were evacuated from the aircraft, Hamilton said.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe Estrada confirmed Ginsburg was on the flight. Estrada said Ginsburg was not injured. She was headed to San Francisco for an event.
Estrada said the 78-year-old justice had to slide down an emergency chute along with other passengers.
Three people were injured while exiting the plane, she said. Two refused treatment, and the third was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
The other passengers were taken back to the terminal and will be rebooked on another flight, Hamilton said.
United Airlines spokesman Charlie Hobart said the airline is investigating the incident and is working to accommodate the affected passengers.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
