ST. LOUIS: An engine aboard an American Airlines jet caught fire Friday
> during a flight to Chicago, forcing the pilots to return to St. Louis
> and evacuate the aircraft on the runway.
>
> There were no reports of injuries aboard the MD-80 jet, said Jeff Lea,
> spokesman for Lambert Airport.
>
> All 137 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants left the
> plane safely after it turned back to Lambert and landed, said Tim
> Wagner, spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines.
>
> Flight 1400 reported engine problems sometime after takeoff and landed
> at 1:40 p.m. CDT (1840 GMT). Passengers walked down a staircase to the
> runway after emergency crews extinguished the fire with flame-retardant
> foam.
>
> American Airlines maintenance will look at the aircraft and try to
> determine what caused the fire, Wagner said. The National Transportation
> Safety Board may get involved, he said.
