LAX: Fire in Plane's Engine Prevents Takeoff

A fire prompted a pilot to shut down an engine on a Boeing 737-800 jetliner that had just left the gate area at Los Angeles International Airport today, and the flames went out, authorities said.

The problem affected American Airlines flight 1060, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration. No injuries were reported.

The plane was on its way to Chicago. It had “just pushed back from the gate ... when fire was seen coming out of the left engine around 5:50 a.m.,” Gregor said.

“The crew shut down the engine, and the fire went out,” Gregor said. “The aircraft was towed back to the gate.”

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

--City News Service