Federal safety board says communication foul-up put passengers at risk after American Airlines engine fire

CHICAGO (AP) — Investigators say communication problems between flight attendants and pilots put evacuating passengers at more risk after an American Airlines plane caught fire in 2016 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that flight attendants didn’t know how to use the intercom system to speak with pilots before they directed passengers to use an emergency exit behind an engine that was still running.

One passenger was hurt after being knocked to the ground by a jet blast from the engine.

The NTSB says the fire started when pieces of an engine disc broke off and pierced a fuel line with such force that one piece was found a half mile away. The board recommends that federal regulators require improved high-tech inspections of the discs during manufacturing.

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