Newark Airport temporarily shuts down after plane fire, Port Authority says
NEWARK, N.J. -- Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily shut down Tuesday night after emergency chutes were deployed on a United flight after a plane fire, Port Authority said.
The airport re-opened by 10:45 p.m., Newark Airport tweeted.
A United Airlines flight preparing to take off at Newark was grounded Tuesday evening due to a fire in one of its engines, CBS New York reports.
Sources told CBS New York that 124 passengers and 7 crew members were on board United flight 1579 when the fire broke out in an engine on the right side of the aircraft.
Emergency chutes were deployed around 9 p.m. as passengers evacuated the plane originally bound for San Francisco, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA said in a statement that it will investigate the incident.
The FAA said there was one minor injury reported, but Newark Airport said later in a tweet that there were five minor injuries.
Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters from the Port Authority Police Department worked to bring the blaze under control.
The airport is temporarily closed as the Boeing 757 jet is towed to the United hangar.
