Delta passengers evacuate by slide onto snowy Atlanta runway after engine problem

Kelly Yamanouchi, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan 10, 2025

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ATLANTA — Passengers on a Delta Air Lines plane evacuated via emergency slides after an engine problem, as the plane was preparing to take off from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport amid the winter storm on Friday morning.

Hartsfield-Jackson said four passengers reported minor injuries, with one transported for medical treatment and three others treated on the scene.

The crew aborted takeoff at about 9:05 a.m. due to a reported engine issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said it will investigate.

The evacuation was from a Boeing 757-300 for flight 2668 to Minneapolis-St. Paul. There were 201 customers, two pilots and four flight attendants on board, Delta said.

Passengers slid down the emergency slides on the snowy runway, and then were shuttled to the terminal, according to Delta.

A video posted on social media showed passengers on the snowy runway and emergency crews responding to the aircraft.

The aborted takeoff came on the day of a storm that caused hundreds of flights cancellations at the Atlanta airport.

Hartsfield-Jackson said flights were delayed due to the incident and the severe weather.

Combined, the storm and the evacuation brought flights at Hartsfield-Jackson to a halt for much of the morning, with the runways closed.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our people and customers, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” Delta said in a written statement. “Our focus is to address their immediate needs and get them to their destinations safely.”

A ground stop Friday was extended until 2 p.m. for Delta flights, according to the FAA’s website. That grounds departures to the Atlanta airport.

At about 10:30 a.m., Hartsfield-Jackson posted on social media that it expects the aircraft and the runway to be cleared shortly.