ALERT: Newark Airport Reopens (May 23, 2017)

May 23, 2017

Newark Liberty International Airport has reopened. Earlier this evening, it was temporarily closed due to an engine fire on a United flight headed to San Francisco.

According to the airport’s Twitter account:

#EWR has reopened after earlier incident of plane with apparent engine fire. Reports of 5 minor injuries. Expect delays remainder of night.

WABC-TV is reports:

There was a ground stop for about an hour and a half at Newark Airport after a plane engine caught fire.

United Airlines Flight 1579 from Newark to San Francisco was supposed to depart at 9:22 p.m. on Tuesday.

The plane is a Boeing 757 with 124 passengers and seven crew members aboard.

While taxiing, the engine caught fire and the chutes were deployed.

Passengers of the plane were evacuated by using the slide. Five passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.

The passengers were then brought to Terminal C, Gate 71. United Airlines released a statement saying:

“During taxiing of United flight 1579 from Newark to San Francisco, the tower notified the crew of what appeared to be flames from one of the engines. The crew immediately deployed the slides and evacuated the aircraft … We are working to get our customers to San Francisco as soon as possible.”

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