Four injured after Delta flight aborts take-off at snow-covered Atlanta airport
At least four people were injured after a Boeing 757 Delta plane aborted takeoff at Atlanta Airport Friday morning following an apparent engine failure.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said in a statement that the incident occurred at 9:10 a.m. local time as passengers were reportedly told to “duck” and evacuate moments after the plane accelerated for takeoff.
The delayed flight was supposed to go to Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Operations from the airport were postponed following the runway crisis, which the airport said was due to “ongoing severe weather.”
Four passengers reported minor injuries, three of which were treated at the scene, while one was taken to hospital. There were reportedly more than 200 passengers on board.
Footage shared by others at the airport showed passengers leaving the Delta plane on inflatable slides on a snow-covered runway as emergency services rushed to the scene.
According to a post shared on the massage board site Reddit, a user who claimed his wife was on board the flight said the plane “accelerated for takeoff and the plane slowed down.”
“They were told to dive down and then evacuate via an emergency slide,” the report said. “All her stuff is still on board and the passengers are standing in the snow.”
Officials said the rejected takeoff was due to an engine problem. DailyMail.com has reached out to Atlanta Airport for more information.
At least four people were injured Friday morning after a Boeing 757 Delta plane canceled takeoff at Atlanta Airport
Footage shared by others at the airport showed passengers exiting the Delta plane on inflatable slides on a snow-covered runway as emergency services rushed to the scene
Social media users claimed that the plane ‘accelerated for take-off and the plane slowed down, and passengers were ‘told to dive down and then had to evacuate via an emergency slide’
Workers clear snow as it covers Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Friday morning
Atlanta Airport said operations from the airport have been postponed due to the incident and inclement weather, but are “expected to clear shortly.”
Delta Airlines said in a statement: “Delta’s flight crew followed established procedures to initiate the takeoff of Flight 2668 from Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) after an indication of an engine problem.’
It came as bitterly cold temperatures blanketed the Atlanta area.
In another clip shared on social media, dozens of passengers were seen running across the snowy runway against the icy wind.
At least 786 flights were delayed at the airport Friday due to weather, and another 421 were delayed, according to Flight conscious.
A ground stop was issued for all inbound Delta Airlines flights around 8 a.m.