Seven Hurt As Dc-9 Catches Fire

A DC-9 jet headed for Miami caught fire on takeoff Thursday night, injuring seven people and forcing passengers and the crew to evacuate by sliding down emergency chutes.

ValueJet Airlines Flight 597 was carrying 55 passengers and five crew members when the right engine caught fire as the jet began to taxi down the runway for takeoff, said Richard Hillman, ValuJet’s senior vice president of operations.

The pilot felt a jolt at about 30 mph and a warning light showed there was a fire in the engine, Hillman said. The pilot stopped the jet and passengers and crew were evacuated.

The blaze spread quickly throughout the jet.

Three flight attendants and four passengers were injured. One flight attendant had burns over about 30 percent of her body, mostly on her legs, and was in stable condition, officials said.