An Alaska Airlines flight was delayed after a power bank reportedly caught fire in the cabin on Sunday.
Flight AS2117 from Wichita, Kansas to Seattle in Washington was forced to divert shortly after take-off following an external battery fire, said Hawaii News Now.
The Embraer 175 aircraft, operated by Alaska Air subsidiary Horizon Air, issued squawk code 7700 just minutes after departing.
A squawk 7700 signals a general emergency on an aircraft with immediate assistance required from air traffic control.
The diverted flight had departed Wichita Eisenhower airport at around 1.52pm, landing back at the Kansas aviation hub just 56 minutes later.
One of the 76 passengers on board was hospitalised with “minor burns” following the incident, said Hawaii News Now.
A passenger told the Hawaiian TV station, “She had an external battery charger pack.
“I was right next to her, and it was just sitting in her lap, not being played with, not being touched and it exploded.”
Power banks with lithium-ion batteries pose a significant fire risk on planes due to “thermal runaway”, an uncontrollable self-heating caused by damage or overheating.
Cabin crew were reportedly able to extinguish the smoking device in the aisle, said The Aviation Herald.
The flight eventually continued its journey at 9.16pm local time on a replacement aircraft, landing at Seattle-Tacoma airport over seven hours later than scheduled.
No other injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
The Independent has contacted the Alaska Air Group for comment.
Several airlines have moved to ban the use of portable charging devices on board due to risks associated with overheating.
Japan’s transport ministry is expected to introduce a new restriction on the use of batteries on board from April.
According to NHK Japan, passengers travelling on domestic Japanese airlines will soon be unable to use portable chargers on board.
Travellers in Japan will also reportedly be limited to a maximum of two portable chargers per person, not exceeding 160Wh, in carry-on luggage.
Read more: Japan set to ban the use of power banks on planes this spring
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