Battery fire erupts on flight mid-air, forces emergency landing
A packed flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a lithium battery inside a passenger’s carry-on luggage erupted into flames.
A packed Air China flight bound for Seoul was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai on Saturday after a lithium battery inside a passenger’s carry-on luggage erupted in flames, filling the cabin with smoke.
The blaze broke out aboard Flight CA139, which had departed Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 9:47am local time with 160 passengers and crew headed to South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, according to statements from the airline and Chinese state media.
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Air China said in a post on Weibo that “a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment spontaneously ignited.”
The crew immediately responded and no one was injured, the statement added.
The plane diverted to Shanghai Pudong International Airport “to ensure flight safety,” Air China said.
Video circulating on Chinese social media and published by NBC News showed bright flames and thick smoke pouring from an overhead compartment as startled passengers shouted for help.
Two flight attendants sprinted down the aisle carrying fire extinguishers while others shouted for travellers to remain seated.
A passenger quoted by local media said they heard a loud explosion moments before flames shot from the storage bin.
Photos shared online showed scorched lining above several rows of seats.
The aircraft landed safely in Shanghai around 11am, flight-tracking site Flightradar24 showed. A replacement jet later transported passengers to Seoul, the airline confirmed.
No injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained no structural damage, Air China said.
Passengers described several minutes of confusion as the fire crackled from the bin. One traveller shouted “hurry up!” in Korean as smoke thickened.
Local outlets reported that the ignited item was believed to be a power bank battery, though officials have not confirmed the brand or manufacturer.
The Air China scare is the latest in a string of lithium-battery incidents aboard Asian carriers this year.
In May, a China Southern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen returned to the airport 15 minutes after takeoff when smoke poured from a passenger’s camera battery and power bank.
In January, South Korean officials said a spare power bank likely caused a fire on an Air Busan flight carrying 169 passengers and seven crew; seven people suffered minor injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration warns that lithium-ion batteries can undergo “thermal runaway,” a self-heating reaction that can trigger explosions if a cell is damaged, overheated, overcharged or exposed to water.
Common household devices including smartphones, laptops, tablets and portable chargers all use such batteries.
This story originally appeared on New York Post and is republished here with permission
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