A malfunctioning e-cigarette device forced an American Airlines domestic flight to divert.
The MD-80 plane with 137 passengers and five crew members was heading to Indianapolis but was diverted to Little Rock, where it landed safely without incident at Clinton National Airport.
However passengers spoke of some ‘frantic’ moments as crew fought to extinguish a ‘smoking and sparking’ bag which caught fire in the business class section.
Four extinguishers were used on the smouldering bag, according to passengers interviewed by local media.
Passengers suffered a delay of several hours while a replacement jet was laid on by the airline.
The Federal Aviation Administration is still investigating.
Under updated FAA rules, vaping devices are allowed on planes only in carry-on bags and may not be used or charged in-flight due to the fire risk.
