A passenger who was on board the British Airways flight which caught fire in Las Vegas has reportedly said that their was a "stampede" inside the plane as panicked passengers even "trampled" on a woman's head while trying to escape.
Some reports have claimed that as many as 13 passengers were injured in the mayhem following the incident.
As the hero pilot tried to slow down the blazing 350-tonne British Airways plane accelerating down the runway at 90mph, some panicked passengers "trampled" many fellow travellers inside the cabin as they tried to jump out during the emergency evacuation.
Ian Payne, a British tourist who was returning to London, told ITV that there was a hysteria inside the cabin. He said he was shaken by the "very scary experience", especially as he was sitting right above the engine that caught fire.
The passengers heard a "loud bang" as the aircraft was about to take off from the Las Vegas airport, the plane then shook violently as the pilot tried to slow it down.
And just as the pilot made the Mayday call, the passengers screamed and cried out. It was absolute "pandemonium" after the passengers were asked to evacuate, Payne said.
While there were no reports of any serious injuries, the passengers said that it would have been a major disaster had the plane taken off. The passengers also feared that the plane might explode as the engine fire could reach the fuel tank.
The pilot of the plane has been hailed a hero for averting a major disaster as he brought the plane to a standstill in just nine seconds moments before the take-off, The Daily Mail reported.
An audio of the British Airways pilot calmly issuing the "Mayday" call has gone viral. In the audio clip the pilot asks for fire assistance before he informs "we are evacuating".
The passengers and the crew exited the plane, which was still in the middle of the runway. A video of the moment the plane caught fire shows thick black smoke billowing out of it before the fire services try to bring the fire under control.
All 159 passengers and 13 crew members aboard Flight 2276 were able to get off the plane, McCarran International Airport spokesman Chris Jones told The Telegraph.
