Florida, April 23 - Delta Air Lines Flight 1213, on April 21, 2025, an Airbus A330-300 registered as N807NW, experienced a dramatic engine fire at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida, prompting a swift evacuation of all passengers and crew. The flight, scheduled to depart for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) at approximately 11:15 a.m. EDT, was pushing back from gate 94 when flames erupted from the right-hand engine’s tailpipe, specifically the No. 2 Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine. The incident, which occurred just after 11:06 a.m., led to a full-scale emergency response and raised significant concerns about aviation safety, particularly in light of recent high-profile incidents in the United States.
A Delta flight just caught on fire at the Orlando Airport 😳 pic.twitter.com/kmksyx5QIu
— Dylan (@dylangwall) April 21, 2025
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The Airbus A330 was carrying a full complement of 282 passengers, along with 10 flight attendants and two pilots, totaling 294 people on board. As the aircraft began its pushback from the gate, flames and thick black smoke were observed emanating from the right engine, prompting the flight crew to immediately halt the aircraft and initiate emergency procedures. The crew deployed the aircraft’s inflatable emergency slides, allowing passengers to evacuate onto the tarmac. Video footage captured by a passenger in the terminal showed a large ball of orange flames and smoke billowing from the engine, while audio from the airport’s control tower, recorded via Broadcastify, revealed controllers urgently calling for fire trucks, stating, “We’re calling the fire trucks right now, we see that.” The Orlando International Airport’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team responded promptly, extinguishing the fire and containing the situation.
No injuries were reported during the evacuation, a testament to the crew’s training and the efficiency of the emergency response. Passengers were transported back to the terminal, where Delta provided food and beverages while arranging alternative travel plans. The airline deployed a replacement aircraft, identified as N826NW, which was ferried from Atlanta as flight DAL9966 to continue the journey to Atlanta later that day, with an estimated departure from Orlando at 3:35 p.m. Delta issued a statement emphasizing safety as their top priority, noting that the crew followed procedures to evacuate the cabin after observing flames in the engine’s tailpipe. The airline apologized for the inconvenience and assured passengers that maintenance teams would thoroughly examine the affected aircraft to determine the cause of the fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would investigate the incident, which adds to a series of concerning aviation events in 2025, including a fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport on January 29 that claimed 67 lives. Initial assessments suggest the fire may have resulted from unburned fuel ignition, an oil leak, or a mechanical fault in the engine, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The aircraft, a 208-foot-long widebody with a wingspan of nearly 198 feet, is equipped with eight emergency exits, which facilitated the rapid evacuation. Delta’s maintenance crews are conducting a detailed inspection to ensure the aircraft’s airworthiness before it returns to service. This incident underscores the critical importance of rigorous maintenance protocols and emergency preparedness in aviation. While the successful evacuation highlights the effectiveness of Delta’s crew training and airport response systems, the event has reignited discussions about the reliability of aging aircraft and the need for enhanced safety measures. As the FAA’s investigation progresses, the findings will likely inform future protocols to prevent similar occurrences, ensuring the continued safety of air travel on busy routes like Orlando to Atlanta.