- An American Airlines jet caught fire in Denver, and people evacuated with their carry-ons.
- Passengers ignoring safety rules by taking bags can slow evacuations and risk lives.
- People on a Russian plane in 2019 died because some survivors didn't abandon their carry-ons.
Photos of a burning American Airlines jet on Thursday show dozens of evacuating passengers standing on the wing with their bags in tow — breaking one of the most important safety rules.
Flight attendants explain during pre-flight briefings that carry-ons must be left behind during emergencies to ensure a quick evacuation and increase survivability.
Federal regulations require airline cabin crew to be able to deplane everyone within 90 seconds, under the assumption everyone follows crew instructions.
Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas previously told Business Insider that bag-related bottlenecks could slow the evacuation and waste vital time.
"You've got to get all the passengers out in 90 seconds," he said. "Now, we're seeing evacuations taking six and seven minutes because passengers insist on taking their bags."
Thursday's incident occurred after the crew reported "engine vibrations" en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas/Fort Worth and diverted to Denver. The engine caught fire after landing, prompting the evacuation.
12 people of the 172 on board were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, Denver International Airport said on X.
Evacuating with carry-ons could be life-or-death
A slowed aircraft evacuation could lead to more injuries or even fatalities, and there's a precedent for this life-or-death concern.
In 2019, a Russian airliner crash-landed and caught fire in Moscow, killing 41 of the 78 passengers and crew.
Many of the survivors were seen fleeing the plane with their carry-ons, which aviation experts say likely stalled the evacuation and led to a higher death toll.
The opposite happened in January 2024, when a Japan Airlines jetliner collided with a smaller plane on the Tokyo runway.
All 379 people on that aircraft — which was carrying five times the number of people as the Russian plane — survived. Aviation experts say part of the reason was because passengers abandoned their bags.
The Delta Air Lines crash-landing in Toronto in February also saw some passengers evacuating with carry-ons and flight attendants telling them to leave their stuff behind.
A week later, another Delta plane filled with smoke. Again, evacuated passengers were seen with their bags. Everyone lived in both cases.
Still, history shows not everyone is as lucky.
Air travel remains relatively very safe, and fatal crashes are still extremely rare, despite the uptick in crashes and near-misses in recent months.
When incidents do happen, and a speedy evacuation is necessary, it's imperative you listen to the flight attendants and leave your personal items behind.
Stuff can be replaced — lives can't.
