Passengers shamed for taking carry-on bags out of burning plane

LOS ANGELES — Passengers on the British Airways jet whose engine caught fire just before takeoff in Las Vegas escaped with their lives — and some with their carry-ons, as well.

While flight crews tell people to leave belongings behind in an evacuation, pilots say they seem increasingly inclined to grab whatever they brought on board. And sometimes even a selfie or two.

“We’re always shaking our head,” said Chris Manno, a veteran pilot with a major US airline who took to social media Wednesday to slam those pictured on the Vegas tarmac with bulky cabin bags. “It doesn’t matter what you say, people are going to do what they do.”

The engine on the London-bound Boeing 777-200 caught fire Tuesday as the plane was gathering speed. Though the evacuation was swift, officials said Wednesday that 27 of the 170 passengers or crew on board required hospital treatment for cuts, bruises or other minor injuries, mostly from the evacuation slides.

“A deadly slalom” is how pilot Patrick Smith described baggage on an emergency slide in a blog post. Bags also could tear the inflatable slides, block exits on board and cause other injuries in the chaos of an evacuation.

I wid get out as fast as I can