Passenger’s Phone Catches Fire on an Alaska Airlines Flight

Alaska Airlines flight 751 had to evacuate dozens of people in Washington State. Smoke filled the aircraft cabin shortly after a mobile phone catches fire. The incident happened around 8:30 pm on Monday as Flight 751 from New Orleans landed in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Even with the crew members acting quickly, smoke filled the cabin. Crew members used a battery containment bag and extinguished the fire. Even after controlling the situation and successfully extinguishing the fire, passengers and crew members were made to evacuate using the emergency slides. A total of 128 passengers and six crew members successfully evacuated the plane.

Some passengers sustained minor injuries from the incident. All the passengers then boarded buses to the terminal. Some passengers sent photos of the plane filled with smoke. According to Alaska Airlines officials, the incident won’t affect airport operations.   

Airline Policy on Mobile Phones and Batteries

Federal Communications Commission restricts the use of cellular phones on airplanes. If you don’t switch your phone into airplane mode, then your device will keep on looking for a cell tower on the ground. Not only does it potentially interfere with the plane’s navigation, but it also drains your phone’s battery.

Though there is no clear rule that will prevent you from using your phone while on a plane, the Federal Aviation Administration said that lithium batteries can result in smoke or fire. The agency also said that a battery fire could exceed the plane’s fire suppression capability which could result in a disaster.

Despite being a fire hazard, there are no rules that restrict bringing electronic devices that have lithium batteries. However, the FAA prohibits “uninstalled lithium metal batteries and lithium-ion batteries, electronic cigarettes, and vaping device” in checked baggage.

The Alaska Airlines incident isn’t the first time where a battery catches fire. From 2010 to 2016, there were 13 recorded cases of lithium batteries that caused smoke, fire, extreme heat, or explosion.