American Airlines plane catches fire on tarmac of Denver airport after emergency landing After an American Airlines plane with 178 people aboard made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Thursday night, the aircraft caught fire on the tarmac, causing chaos as the passengers and crew were forced to evacuate. Kris Van Cleave has the latest. Then, Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, discusses flight safety in the wake of several recent aviation incidents.