Panic on Runway: 18 Injured After Ryanair Passengers Leap from Aircraft Wing During False Fire Alert in Mallorca

Ryanair passengers 'scream' and jump off plane after 'loud bang and utter chaos'

At least 18 passengers sustained injuries after leaping from the wing of a Ryanair aircraft during a chaotic evacuation triggered by a fire alert at Palma de Mallorca Airport late Saturday night. The flight, which was preparing to depart for Manchester, was halted moments before takeoff when the crew raised a fire alarm.

Video footage from the incident shows several passengers climbing out of the emergency exits and jumping from the aircraft wing directly onto the tarmac. Some individuals landed heavily on their fronts, resulting in injuries. Six people were transported to local hospitals by emergency medical services.

An airport worker, seemingly stunned by the scene, was heard on a walkie-talkie saying, “Do you know the plane has emergency exits?” as passengers were seen evacuating via the wing. “Something’s happening, they’re evacuating the plane. Now the firefighters are coming,” the worker added.

The situation was brought under control quickly, with the majority of passengers eventually disembarking in a more orderly manner.

One of the passengers, 56-year-old Denise Kelly, described the ordeal as a “life or death situation.” She recounted how a cabin crew member ran through the aisle shouting for passengers to evacuate and warned them to leave their belongings behind in case the plane exploded. Kelly, who jumped from the wing in panic, said she suffered a broken right heel, a fractured left wrist, and a shattered elbow. “I’m completely traumatised,” she said.

Ryanair later confirmed that the fire warning had been a false alarm. In a statement, the airline said: “This flight from Palma to Manchester discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication. Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal. While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc), and crew requested immediate medical assistance.”

“To minimise disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 7:05 a.m. this morning. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused.”

Mallorca’s emergency services confirmed receiving an alert at 12:36 a.m. and dispatched four ambulances to the airport. Eighteen people received medical assistance, with six hospitalized. Authorities categorized the injuries as “minor.”