An American Airlines flight had a shocking incident yesterday, after a passenger’s laptop reportedly caught fire. We keep hearing about the dangers of lithium ion batteries, so here is a case where it actually caused a problem. Luckily it was caught on the ground…
The American jet was ejected as the cabin filled with smoke
The incident occurred yesterday (Friday, July 12, 2024), and involves American Airlines flight AA2045, scheduled to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Miami (MIA) at 12:17PM. The flight was operated by a nine-year-old Airbus A321 with registration code N917UY.
Just after boarding the plane, it is reported that the back seat of the plane, which contained a laptop, caught fire, and smoke filled the back of the cabin. The workers immediately called for people to evacuate. So, the passengers not only got out through the jet bridge (which was still connected), but also many emergency slides were used. The bag containing the laptop was also removed from the plane, although perhaps not in the way it should have been (more on that below).
While officials have yet to determine what caused the smoke to fill the American Airlines flight deck at SFO, SKY7 captured firefighters placing a possible laptop in a bathtub of water. The SFFD tells us that the proper way to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire is to put it… pic.twitter.com/Z0G1nWchaM
– ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) July 12, 2024
Everyone escaped safely, although there were a few minor injuries due to the use of slides.
Below you can see VASAviation’s replay of what happened, including air traffic control audio.
Here is the statement that the US spokesperson gave:
During boarding of American Airlines flight 2045 from San Francisco (SFO) to Miami (MIA), smoke was reported in a customer’s bag. The bag was quickly removed by our staff and all customers exited the plane. We thank our staff members for their work and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.
As you might expect, the plane was decommissioned. American was able to find another flight, but less than 12 hours later. So instead of arriving at 8:58PM on Friday, passengers will be arriving at 8:41AM on Saturday. Oh.
If you check a bag on a plane, you are usually asked to make sure there are no lithium ion batteries in it. This is exactly why, as there is a risk that they could catch fire. It is easier to control the interior of the cabin, rather than handling the cargo. In this case it was also a good thing that this happened while the plane was still on the ground.
The family proudly rejects the orders of the staff member
Below is video footage from inside the room during the walkout (be aware of the foul language used). As you can see, the crew is telling the passengers to keep moving forward and leave their belongings, even though it seems like maybe the passengers aren’t doing a good job following their instructions? Unfortunately that is nothing new…
A new video shows the shocking moment after a laptop battery caught fire inside an American Airlines flight at SFO. Flight attendants and the pilot can be heard telling passengers to leave their bags and get off the plane. At least three people were injured during the evacuation.… pic.twitter.com/uirfiQ9i9E
– ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) July 13, 2024
On the other hand, you have this guy from Austria describing his version of events in an interview, which I find fascinating. The young man proudly talks about how he and his father did not follow the orders of the staff member.
He talks about how he wanted to open the door at the back left of the plane (presumably he was near the last emergency exit row on the A321, at the back of the cabin ), how he was not allowed, but how he did. it did so.
He then describes how his father took a bag with a smoking laptop, wanted to throw it out, was told by members of staff, and did so.
When asked why he decided to open the door despite the flight attendant’s instructions to the contrary, he explained:
“I shouldn’t have. He told me not to, but when I got on the plane, I had this weird feeling, and I was looking at the doors in the wings, and they said ‘armed.’ So my first thought when I got up from the chair, I was like the doors have to be armed, so the slides have to be armed, and then I can jump out. I was actually out of the plane a little bit and tried to jump, but the slides wouldn’t release, so I got back in the plane. Yes, that’s the first thought. ”
To reiterate, this young man (child?) brags about how he and his father ignored the staff member’s instructions and followed their gut to decide how to handle the situation. ?
Yes, let’s not listen to the members of the crew who are trained to evacuate in an emergency, but instead, let’s listen to the guy who already had a “weird feeling” when he boarded the plane. It’s cool.
Low profile
An American Airlines Airbus A321 was evacuated from SFO yesterday, after a laptop caught fire, causing the cabin to fill with smoke. There is always a risk with lithium ion batteries, and in this case the matter was at least dealt with on the ground.
Given that the plane was still at the gate, this was a surprising turn of events. In that regard, it is somewhat unusual to see someone brag about how he ignored the orders of the staff members and followed their gut.
What do you make of this American Airlines flight?
#American #A321 #Burned #Laptop #Fire #Proud #Austrian #Family