Watch: Delta flight in Atlanta has to abort takeoff, passengers evacuated using slides

200 passengers evacuated a Delta flight at Atlanta Airport after an aborted takeoff. Emergency slides were used, and 4 reported minor injuries, 1 hospitalized. Flight was headed to Minneapolis.

Why is everyone running through the snow in a mad dash like the plane is about to blow? What is going on?

Passengers exited the Boeing 757-300 aircraft through emergency slides and ground transportation was used to take them back to the terminal.

Four passengers reported minor injuries in the incident, with one transported to an area hospital, the airport said. The other three were treated at the scene, the airport said. The nature of their injuries was not immediately clear.

The FAA is investigating. We still haven't heard why the takeoff was abandoned, how anyone was hurt, and why the plane was stranded and why emergency exits had to be used.

Some reports are that there was an engine failure and possibly an engine fire right at takeoff, but this has not been confirmed by the FAA or the airline.

The crew did the right thing and only a few minor injuries.

Boeing does not make the engines, and the A/C is likely pretty advanced in years. I suspect that it's a maintenance issue, little harm, possibly a teachable moment.

I had a somewhat experience many years back. After landing at Reagan airport in Washington DC, the pilot announced that the brakes had overheated and we had to move to a remote location on the airport to let them cool safely where we were not around any ground crews. After about 10 minutes, or so, we heard a loud bang, and the airplane listed to the side slightly.

The pilot then announced a tire had blown out from the heat, and we would have to wait some more to get the landing gear inspected to see if we could move safely. After another long wait, the pilot said we could safely move to the gate, where disembarked normally.

An aborted take-off would have the same problem, especially with an engine out, all of the airplane speed has to be absorbed by the brakes, not with engine braking. In this case, it may not have even been possible to even move the airplane with the engines, so the passengers had to use the evacuation slides.
On any takeoff, there’s always a runway position and speed after which you cannot safely stop the airplane without running off the end of the runway. Brake heating is a factor in that location.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.