JetBlue Flight Forced to Divert After Battery Catches Fire
JetBlue flight 915 from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) was forced to divert yesterday after the lithium-ion battery in a passenger's backpack caught fire on board the flight. According to passengers on board, the fire caused a commotion after people became aware of the incident about 2.5 hours into the journey.
The plane landed safely in Grand Rapids, MI (GRR), where fire crews met the aircraft and took the burnt backpack off the plane. Thankfully, none of the 158 passengers on board were injured, and the plane wasn't damaged as a result of the fire. The aircraft was on the ground in Grand Rapids for about 3 hours before continuing its journey to San Francisco.
US aircraft are unfortunately no strangers to exploding electronics. Last year, the DOT ended up banning the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 nationwide after devices exploded multiple times in-flight. Lithium-ion batteries are also concerns for nations considering implementing their own versions of the US' electronics ban, as they say the flammability of the batteries may pose a great risk to passenger safety.
H/T: CNN