British Airways Plane's Engine Burst into Flames 
....as it was about to takeoff from Las Vegas Airport

A British Airways Boeing 777 with 172 people on board burst into flames shortly before take off from McCarran Airport, Las Vegas to Gatwick. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely although 14 people have been taken to hospital for treatment.

Passengers on board the aircraft described how the plane came to a juddering halt as flames were seen pouring out of the left engine and smoke billowing into the sky.

While the evacuation was a textbook operation, investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board will embark on an inquiry to find out why the engine burst into flames. Although it may take months for a definitive conclusion to be reached, the NTSB can issue immediate safety instructions - called Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) - if they identify anything of immediate concern.

Las Vegas Airport is the 9th busiest in US and has nearly 43 million passengers last year !