Everyone aboard a Southwest Airlines flight at Denver International Airport was safely evacuated Friday morning after a cell phone battery ignited. It happened aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 3316 before 7 a.m., as the plane was preparing to take off for Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport.
CBS
According to Southwest, the plane was still at the gate when the fire broke out. The crew managed to put out a seat fire caused by the burning cell phone. The passenger who held the phone suffered burns and was treated by local medical personnel.
Southwest told CBS News Colorado that there were 108 passengers on board when the fire broke out. Passengers in the rear of the plane used the rear emergency slides and those in the front of the plane exited through the front door. A passenger was slightly injured during the evacuation.
The incident is under investigation and Southwest released this statement: “The Southwest customer service team is working to accommodate passengers from another plane to their original destination of Houston. Nothing “There is nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”
The FAA released this statement to CBS News Colorado, Battery transportation safety is a priority for the FAA and we provide numerous resources to passengers. The FAA recommends that passengers keep cell phones and other devices close by in the cabin for quick access if necessary. Flight crews are trained to recognize and respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin. Passengers should notify the flight crew immediately if their lithium battery or device overheats, expands, smokes or burns.
According to a CBS News investigation published last year, similar incidents are occurring much more frequently in U.S. skies. The FAA verifies that the number of lithium-ion battery fires has jumped more than 42% over the past five years.
