Culture

A FedEx Cargo Plane Catches Fire And Explodes At A Florida Airport

Turns out the plane fire at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport wasn’t the only aviation incident involving fire and smart phone footage on Friday. According to the Palm Beach Post, a FedEx cargo plane caught fire when its landing gear collapsed on touchdown at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration, airport officials and passengers departing and arriving at the terminal noted the resulting flames were quickly put out, but not before a massive explosion sent what appears to be a part of the left wing or fuselage several stories upward.

Local 10 ABC reported firefighters were first alerted to the crash just before 6 p.m. local time. “I think the pilot did a pretty good job of keeping it close to the runway,” former FFA safety director Stephen Lloyd told the ABC affiliate. “But of course you can see the ball of fire and with all that fuel, that was a pretty big explosion.” Luckily, both pilots managed to escape the plane before the explosion.

Due to the severity of the crash, the FAA and emergency ground crews shut down all runways until the fire could be put out. At around 6:45 p.m. local time the airport’s official Twitter account announced runways would reopen at 7 p.m. for regular business. However, the north runway where the crash occurred would remain closed pending an official investigation.


Needless to say, the video footage and photos captured by reporters, flyers and airport staff speak volumes:

(Via ABC News, Palm Beach Post and Local 10 ABC)