Fiery Jet's Blind Spots, Phone Issue Plagued O'Hare Runway Mishap

CHICAGO, IL — Communication problems between members of the flight crew, as well as blind spot and visibility issues in the cockpit could have contributed to difficulties during the emergency evacuation of an American Airlines flight last year at O'Hare International Airport. On Oct. 28, 2016, the jet engine of Miami-bound American Airlines flight 383 exploded and caught fire on an O'Hare runway as it was preparing to take off. The 170 passengers and crew members aboard the Boeing 767-300 made it out of the cabin, and 20 people were hurt in the accident.

Records by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is continuing to investigate the incident, show that the plane's other engine was still running as passengers fleeing the plane, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The pilot told investigators he would've shut down the engine sooner if he could've seen outside the cockpit to the wings, the report stated. Because of the jet's design and its lack of exterior cameras, the pilot didn't have a complete view what was happening outside the plane and hadn't realized one of the plane's engines had exploded, the report added.

The flight attendants also had limited visibility because of the flames and smoke engulfing one of the plane's exits, the report stated. As passengers panicked and tried to get out, the crew directed them to other exits near the still-running engine, which was still generating enough force to knock over one passenger who had escaped down an inflatable chute, the report added.

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Communication between the flight attendants in the plane's cabin and the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit became a problem, as well, but it's not clear from interviews by investigators what caused it, the report stated. A call was made by flight attendants to the cockpit using the in-plane phone, but the call wasn't answered, either because the wrong code was entered or the phone's ring couldn't be heard over the fire alarm, the report added.

Late last year, a lawsuit was filed by 18 passengers against American Airlines and GE and Boeing, the jet's manufacturers, claiming the engine was built from defective material. The plane's engine has a documented history of problems.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times

Passengers walk away from American Airlines flight 383 after its jet engine exploded during takeoff Oct. 28, 2016, at O'Hare International Airport. (Photo by Jose Castillo via The Associated Press)