By: Jesse Paul and Laura Keeney The Denver Post,

Passengers on a US Airways flight arriving at Denver International Airport on Wednesday afternoon were told to evacuate the plane after smoke was reported in the cockpit. The plane, an Airbus A321, was being operated by American Airlines. “While taxiing to the gate, the pilot was alerted to possible smoke in the cabin,” airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said in an issued statement. “The passengers and crew deplaned via the slides.” Passengers were then bused to Concourse A to be reunited with their luggage, airport spokeswoman Mindy Crane said. An airport official said three people possibly sustained “very minor injuries.” The airline confirms they are in contact with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the incident. “There was smoke coming out of the wall,” said Captain Greg Pixley, a spokesman for the Denver Fire Department. “What caused it was contained to that one area. They are still investigating the cause.” Pixley said the issue has been contained. “I can’t say there was fire, but there was smoke,” Pixley said. “There was not visible fire.” Mike Tsang, a passenger on the plane, said smoke began filling the cabin as soon as the plane landed. He said at first passengers were just confused but that concerns were heightened when the smoke kept getting “thicker and thicker.” “We came to a complete stop on the runway,” he said. “The captain came on and said, ‘This is your captain, evacuate.’ The first time he said it, I think everyone was just dumfounded.” Flight attendants quickly began moving passengers out the plane, Tsang said. “Everyone was actually pretty calm,” he said. “There was no pushing, no screaming.” Tsang posted photos of the smoky cabin on Twitter and of passengers gathered on the tarmac outside of the plane. He also took video from the evacuation showing passengers exiting the plane on emergency slides and gathering on the snowy tarmac. US Airways Flight 445, arriving at DIA from Charlotte, NC, had 158 passengers and six crewmembers on board, according to the airline. FlightAware.com shows the plane landed at about 11:45 a.m. Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul