PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Smoke and flames erupted in the cabin of a JetBlue flight last month after a passenger’s portable charger overheated and caught fire in their carry-on luggage.
The flight on April 25, operated by an Airbus A320-200 aircraft, took off from Fort Lauderdale International Airport bound for Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, the Bahamas.
The Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Authority said the plane was about 50 miles from Nassau when a portable charging device ignited, resulting in smoke and flames in the cabin.
Crew put out the fire with water and placed the device in the trash bin of the aircraft’s front bathroom, the authority said on its website.
The pilots then contacted air traffic control to advise them of the emergency situation.
The flight landed safely and there were no injuries or serious damage.
The AAIA is investigating the incident, which was first reported by Simple Flying.
It’s just another example of the risks posed in the air by rechargeable batteries. They are commonly found in chargers and other electronic devices and can become dangerous if they overheat.
In March last year a Breeze Airways flight made an emergency landing after a passenger’s laptop caught fire.
FAA regulations state that devices containing lithium ion or lithium metal batteries — covering everything from laptops and smartphones to electric skateboards — should be put in your carry-on, rather than hold baggage.
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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