Miami

‘We All Held on': Fear, Panic When Plane Crash Landed at MIA

MIA runways that were shut down for the investigation can reopen as early as Friday

NBC Universal, Inc.

A passenger on the Red Air flight that caught fire at Miami International Airport earlier this week recalled the panic the moment the plane crash landed.

“I heard a weird noise and got nervous. I began looking left and right and tried to stay calm," Victor Fossi said in Spanish. "I just felt like the plane was going so, so fast right before we landed.”

The fire started Tuesday after the MD-82 jetliner's landing gear collapsed on arrival from the Dominican Republic, officials said.

Cellphone video shared by a passenger shows the flames and people escaping the burning plane through the evacuation slide.

A plane carrying 140 people caught fire while landing at Miami International Airport, as NBC 6's Cristian Benavides reports.

When they landed, Fossi said the plane landed towards one side.

"... Passengers were screaming. We all held on. But the force still pushed us forward," he said.

Fossi was on flight 203 with his family, sitting just a row behind the exit seat.

He began trying to open the exit door with another passenger.

"I just had to let the people with children and families get out before me," Fossi said.

Fossi did not exit the plane until almost every passenger was able to exit. He didn't regret his decision, despite knowing he was in danger.

"In a way, I feel like a hero that I was able to let out so many people. They were just so scared," he said.

The jetliner was carrying 130 passengers and 10 crew members, Red Air said in a statement. Three people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and later released, officials said.

Runways were shut down for the investigation but can reopen by Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transporation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

Contact Us