A Delta Air Lines flight made an unscheduled landing yesterday in Fort Myers, Florida, due to a portable battery catching fire on board.
Flight 1334, en route from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, was diverted when flight attendants noticed and extinguished flames from what seemed to be a personal battery, Delta confirmed in a statement reported by CBS News.
The fire, prompting an emergency declaration, caused residual smoke within the aircraft.
According to a Delta spokesperson, the crew’s response was swift and reflective of their training in such situations.
The plane, with 185 passengers and six crew members, landed safely at Southwest Florida International Airport at 8:48 a.m. local time, as reported by an airport spokesperson in Fort Myers, roughly a two-hour drive from the intended destination.
Additionally, “We appreciate the quick work and actions by our people to follow their training, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels,” the Delta spokesperson said in a statement obtained by WSVN.
This incident is part of a worrying trend as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the occurrence.
The FAA has recorded 34 incidents involving lithium batteries this year alone, with 11 attributed to battery packs.
The increasing frequency of such incidents has prompted airlines to take action. Southwest Airlines instituted a policy in May, requiring passengers to keep portable chargers in plain sight, a first in the industry. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Singapore Airlines took a more drastic step by completely banning the use or charging of power banks in-flight. This incident adds to the ongoing discourse about the safety of lithium-ion batteries on aircraft, and the industry-wide measures being, implemented to mitigate potential risks.