A New Jersey-bound United Airlines flight was turned around shortly after taking off in San Diego Tuesday morning after a first-class passenger's external battery pack caught fire and injured at least four people, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue.
United Flight 2664 was in the air for about 10 minutes, on its way to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, when the fire sparked at around 7:15 a.m., airport spokesperson Sabrina LoPiccolo said. The plane returned to the gate in Terminal 2 as first responders arrived at the scene.
The airport's preliminary report was that a laptop caught fire, but San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said the fire was started by an external battery pack, which United officials confirmed. The battery pack was plugged into a passenger's cell phone, according to firefighters. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading throughout the cabin.
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At least five ambulances and three San Diego Fire-Rescue trucks could be seen surrounding the United Airlines plane ported at the gate. Video from SkyRanger 7 showed several first responders using a staircase connecting to the airport tarmac to reach the plane.
"Several" flight attendants were transported to the hospital, United said. Others onboard were evaluated at the scene for injuries. SDFD said four patients were transported to the hospital and two others were determined to have injuries but declined to be transported.
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United said their crew "acted quickly to contain the device and medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival at the gate."
A retired pilot told NBC 7 flight attendants get annual safety training on how to deal with battery fires.
"There is a special fire-proof bag, gloves and tongs that they use to contain the fire," Ken Stravers said. "The first [flight attendant] notifies the captain immediately and keeps him advised of the situation. The captain evaluates the situation and decides to declare an emergency with [air traffic control] and divert to a close airport or continue the flight if the situation is not under control."
SDFD Battalion Chief Robert Rezende, who was not one of the responders on this particular incident, said the real hazard is the toxic smoke these batteries emit, with the actual fire being the second-biggest threat.
Rezende added that the more charged a battery is, the more flammable it can be. He recommends flying with batteries charged at 30% or below.
Anne-Marie Buckland, who was in San Diego to visit her daughter, recalled the scare she had while on board.
"I was sitting in that panic and I grabbed the girl next to me and we just really held on to each other. And, I realized how much my family means to me, how much my children mean to me," Buckland told NBC 7. "So, I just prayed and I have faith that God wants me to have a beautiful life and there’s a lot more of it to come so, that kept me good."
She also shared a text message she had sent to a loved one while on the plane, stating, "Honey. There is a fire on the plane and we are turning around. I love you and (redacted) and (redacted) with all my being."
It was not clear if passengers were deplaned, but it was likely as the flight's new arrival time to Newark was four hours delayed.
"We thank our crew for their quick actions in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft and we are making arrangements to get our customers to their destinations," United said in a statement.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
This is a developing story. Details may change as information becomes available.
