TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Flame shot from an engine of a Delta Air Lines jet as it pushed away from the gate Monday, causing some passengers to deploy the emergency evacuation chute in a scramble to get off the plane. Twelve people suffered minor injuries.
Delta flight 1036 to Atlanta was leaving the gate at Tampa International Airport about 7:15 a.m. when some passengers saw the flame come out of the Boeing 757's right engine, said Delta spokeswoman Peggy Estes.
The fire was believed to be the result of a ``hot start,'' which happens when fuel accumulates in the fuel line and ignites when the engine starts, Estes said. She said the engine did not malfunction on the plane, which had 167 passengers.
``It can be pretty startling,'' said Liz Verdier, a Boeing spokeswoman in Seattle. ``It happens sometimes, just like it happens in people's cars.''
Some passengers opened the emergency door and deployed the evacuation chute without permission, Estes said, while others followed flight attendants' orders and exited via the plane's doors.
``We do regret that the evacuation was not at the command of the captain,'' she said.
A 16-year-old boy broke his wrist and other passengers suffered sprained ankles and other minor injuries when they slid down the chute, Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade said. Eight people were taken to local hospitals.
Estes said the remaining passengers were put on another flight to continue their trip to Atlanta. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
