Earlier this month, a Frontier Airlines aircraft caught fire upon landing in Las Vegas. The landing was quite shaky but thankfully, there were no casualties involved. However, some passengers suffered from injuries and trauma, and three of them have now sued the airline for mental and financial stress.
Lawsuit filed against Frontier
Three passengers of the Frontier Airlines flight that caught fire in Las Vegas earlier this month have sued the airline for the damages incurred following the incident. Dimopoulos Law Firm is representing the passengers and stated the following on its website:
“The incident unfolded as Flight 1326 was en route from San Diego, California to Las Vegas, Nevada when, without warning to the passengers, the plane violently crash landed at Harry Reid International Airport.
“The impact was so strong that it caused the plane’s tires to explode and its landing gear to collapse resulting in the aircraft catching fire.
“The traumatized and injured passengers were stranded inside the sweltering smoke-filled aircraft for nearly an hour before being evacuated. It is estimated that 190 passengers occupied the Airbus 321 NEO at the time of the crash.”
The plaintiffs want to be compensated for the distress caused by the incident as well as the loss of wages and medical expenses that followed. According to Fox Business, the three passengers have claimed that the incident has cost them around $30,000.
What happened during the flight?
The incident occurred on Frontier Airlines flight FFT1326 between San Diego and Las Vegas. As the aircraft approached Vegas for a landing, the pilots detected smoke and declared an emergency.
The relevant authorities are still investigating the incident and will eventually release a report, but a video of the plane’s landing gave some clues about what might have happened. It appeared that the flames were coming from the right main landing gear of the aircraft, and it left a trail of smoke as it tried to halt after the landing.
Photo: The Toidi | Shutterstock
The aircraft involved in the incident was an Airbus A321 registered N701FR. Per ch-aviation, it is a little over nine years old and was delivered in October 2015. As of July 2024, the plane has accumulated almost 28,000 flight hours across 11,943 flight cycles.
Other incidents recently
A fire on an aircraft always poses a severe safety risk, even when the plane is on the ground. The Frontier Airlines incident is one of many in recent weeks and months that have involved airplanes catching fire at airports.
Just this month, a Ryanair Boeing 737 operating flight FR8826 from Brindisi (BDS) to Turin (TRN) had to abort its takeoff after one of its engines caught fire. Emergency services reached the aircraft within minutes, and the flames were extinguished.
Photo: Tomasz Warszewski | Shutterstock
Recently, a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft had to be taken back to the gate to inspect for damage in Boston after an engine issue. While the airplane itself did not catch fire, the grass near the edge of the runway ignited as the plane was navigating the tarmac.
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Passengers were re-accommodated onto another aircraft and departed later that evening.
While investigations will reveal the cause of fire in all these cases, thankfully, none of these incidents cost any lives.
