Due to an engine problem during a winter storm, Delta Air Lines customers were forced to evacuate onto the tarmac at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday morning, the company reported.
According to officials, the 201 passengers on board Flight 2668 were evacuated from the aircraft using emergency slides and returned to the terminal via ground transportation.
Although the airline did not provide further details regarding the engine problem, the Atlanta metropolitan area has been hit by snow and ice since Friday due to a winter storm. If homeowners did not need to be out on the roadways, the National Weather Service advised them to stay indoors.
According to FlightAware.com, flight 2668 was scheduled to take off for Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport at approximately 7 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration told NBC News that they would look into the engine problem after suspending takeoff at roughly 9 a.m.
Five flight attendants and two pilots made up Delta’s flight crew, which the airline said “followed established procedures to suspend the takeoff” of the Boeing 757-300 aircraft.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” Delta stated in a statement. “We are working to support our customers and get them to their destinations as safely and quickly as possible.”
According to a statement from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, four travelers reported minor injuries. Three were treated on the spot, and one was sent for medical treatment.
The airport said on X that “the incident and the ongoing severe weather are causing delays in operations at ATL.” “The aircraft and the runway are expected to be cleared shortly.”
As a storm brings snow and ice to the South on Friday, 98 million people are under winter weather alerts.
Around 1 to 2 inches of snow and 0.10 to 0.25 inches of ice are expected to fall on the Atlanta metropolitan region, which could cause power outages and seriously hamper transport. Around 10 p.m., the snow and ice mixture is predicted to stop.
As of Friday afternoon, FlightAware.com reports that more than 2,600 flights into, out of, and within the United States have been canceled, and more than 2,500 have been delayed. With nearly 900 cancellations and over 430 delays, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is in first place.
As of Friday afternoon, PowerOutage.us reports that over 4,000 utility customers in Georgia are without power.