Lithium-ion battery fire sparked cross-country flight go back to californiawhere four were hospitalized on the plane, authorities said.
The United Airlines flight from San Diego International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport had been airborne for a matter of seconds Tuesday morning when the emergency broke out in its cabin, according to officials and data from the flight tracking site. reported flight.
Seven people reported injuries, four of whom were taken to a UC San Diego trauma center, the San Diego Fire Department said.
Hospitalized patients were treated for smoke inhalation, UC San Diego Health said in a statement.
United Airlines said in a statement that all or nearly all of the people hospitalized are crew members who could have put themselves in danger to tackle the fire. The employees were hospitalized as a precaution, he said.
Three other injured refused to be hospitalized despite advice from rescuers, firefighters said. At least two of those people were passengers, according to United.
The airline said the battery pack belonged to a customer. Its crew members «acted quickly to contain the device,» United said. The fire department also credited the crew members with preventing the fire from spreading to the plane.
«We thank our crew for their swift actions in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft,» United said.
One of the tools used in the fight was a fire bag, used to prevent the flames from spreading, firefighters said.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737, landed safely around 7:30 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which was investigating along with the National Transportation Safety Board. The number of passengers was not available.
Lithium-ion batteries commonly used in electronic devices and electric vehicles can rapidly produce flame-spreading heat. When they do break out, which is increasingly the case, fires have proven resistant to traditional firefighting techniques.
Under FAA rules, passengers can bring backup or spare lithium-ion batteries, intended for their own use, on flights, but batteries cannot be in checked baggage. They must be kept in carry-on bags and their terminals must be taped, protected with packaging or otherwise covered. Large batteries are limited to two per passenger.
The FAA characterizes such batteries as «dangerous goods.»
jay blackman and austin mullen contributed.