Four passengers were brought to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation on a United Airlines flight headed for New Jersey after a fire forced the aircraft to return to San Diego International Airport, according to the authorities.
Shortly after takeoff on Tuesday morning on flight 2664 to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a passenger’s external battery pack caught fire, according to authorities.
Caroline Lipinski, a passenger, reported to KFMB-TV that a first-class passenger’s suitcase started smoking shortly after takeoff.
She claimed that it caught fire when he dropped something on the ground and was either a battery charger pack or something from his laptop.
She said, “There was smoke in the cabin, and I was afraid.
According to passenger Stephan Jones, some passengers “were gasping, shouting” as flight attendants rushed to the front of the aircraft to fetch fire extinguishers.
The Boeing 737 landed at the airport at around 7:30 a.m. after the crew contained the battery in a unique fire bag that stopped it from spreading.
According to a statement from UC San Diego Health, four passengers received medical treatment for smoke inhalation.
The safety of everyone on board was prioritized, and several flight attendants were transported to the hospital as a precaution, according to a statement from United Airlines thanking the crew.
According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, two further individuals rejected to be sent to the hospital.
At around 11:45 a.m., the remaining passengers boarded a second aircraft bound for New Jersey, according to KSWB-TV.
The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the event.
Although lithium-ion batteries are frequently employed in electronic gadgets, they can also be capable of overheating and starting fires. They are allowed by airlines in carry-on bags but not in checked bags.
A laptop on board, a Lufthansa flight from Los Angeles to Germany in December caused it to be diverted to Chicago.
A JetBlue flight from Barbados to New York was evacuated in New York in December as a result of a fire that may have been ignited by a battery, according to authorities.
Emergency slides were used to evacuate more than 160 passengers. Five people suffered minor wounds.
In November of last year, a fire started by a lithium-ion e-bike battery damaged over thirty individuals in New York.
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