An American Airlines flight was forced into an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport due to a passenger’s electronic device catching fire.
It sent smoke in the cabin on the flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix.
The Airbus A321 was carrying 160 passengers.
It landed safely, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The FAA is investigating.
“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this caused and thank our crew for their professionalism,” American Airlines said, adding that the fire was ‘quickly contained’.
One passenger noted on social media that ‘it was scary.’
The FAA’s PackSafe program notes that ‘all lithium-ion batteries are capable of overheating and experiencing a process called thermal runaway. This can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly protected.’
This includes devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets.
