ORLANDO, Fla. — A Delta Air Lines airplane caught fire on Monday before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, forcing the evacuation of passengers, airport officials said. There were no reports of any injuries during the fire on the plane at Orlando International Airport, Delta said in a statement. A recent spate of aviation disasters and close calls in the U.S. has stoked fears about air travel, though flying remains a safe way to travel. On-the-ground accidents included a plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport. An American Airlines plane caught fire in Denver last month. The engine fire broke out late Monday morning on Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 while the plane was at the ramp before a scheduled departure from Orlando to Atlanta, airport officials said on social media. The passengers were evacuated, and the airport’s rescue and firefighting team responded, the airport’s statement said. The Airbus A330 aircraft had 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, according to Delta. “Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines were observed,” Delta said in a statement. Maintenance teams will examine the aircraft in an effort to determine the cause of the fire, Delta said. The Associated Press
