Newark, N.J. airport closed after United Airlines engine fire


Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was shut down and passengers evacuated from a United Airlines flight on Tuesday evening after flames were reported coming from an engine, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

United Airlines Flight 1579, a Boeing 757, was on a taxiway bound for San Francisco at about 9 p.m. eastern time when the flames were spotted coming from the right-side engine, the FAA said in a written statement.

The airport, one of three serving the New York City area, said in a series of tweets that there were no injuries reported but that the facility would be closed for safety reasons and advised passengers to expect delays.

Representatives for United Airlines could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters. It was not immediately clear how many passengers or crew members were aboard the aircraft when it was evacuated.

The FAA said it would investigate the incident.

Flight tracking website Flightaware.com issued an alert that all inbound flights were being held at Newark until at least 11 p.m eastern and advised passengers of 90 minute delays due to taxiway congestion.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler & Simon Cameron-Moore)

(FILE PHOTO) A United plane prepares for landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York on April 18, 2017. CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Timothy Fadek.

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