Passengers Evacuate Smoking Airliner

Smoke was spotted under the fuselage of a Pan American Boeing 737 preparing for takeoff at Heathrow Airport on Wednesday and passengers and crew were evacuated, airport officials said.

“A warning light went on in the cockpit, indicating a problem with the hydraulics system, and the captain saw some smoke,” airport spokeswoman Francis Aldridge said. “It was an emergency and he ordered an immediate evacuation of the aircraft,” she said.

The 79 passengers on the aircraft, which was preparing to take off for Frankfurt, West Germany, were evacuated by emergency chutes. “They were able to abandon the plane within minutes,” Aldridge said.

Airport authorities said five passengers suffered friction burns in their slide down the evacuation chutes.

Pan Am Flight 5124 was in a “hold position” on the runway preparing for departure to Frankfurt when the evacuation was ordered. Airport sources said the control tower also spotted the smoke under the fuselage and warned the pilot.

The aircraft was towed to a remote part of the airport, and airline investigators began an examination of the jet. The airport spokeswoman said the passengers were switched to a later flight to Frankfurt.