Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing when a lithium-ion external battery pack caught fire detail the chaotic scene as the cabin filled with smoke.
United Flight 2664 was in the air for about 10 minutes, on its way to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, when the battery pack, which was plugged into a cell phone, sparked at around 7:15 a.m., forcing the plane to return to San Diego International Airport.
Stephen Jones said he was first alerted to the fire by a scream.
"The guy in first class said, 'Oh, God' and pulled his shirt up over his face," Jones said. "And then I saw a flash of fire and then you see the flight attendants running back and forth with fire extinguishers.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
"The cabin filled a little bit with smoke, and they announced that they were turning around and were going to be going back to San Diego,” he added.
Anne-Marie Buckland said she started to smell "something really bad." Then, the cabin began to fill with smoke.
Local
"I was sitting in that panic and I grabbed the girl next to me and we just really held on to each other. And, I realized how much my family means to me, how much my children mean to me," Buckland told NBC 7. "So, I just prayed and I have faith that God wants me to have a beautiful life and there’s a lot more of it to come so, that kept me good."
The plane returned to the gate in Terminal 2 as first responders arrived at the scene. San Diego Fire-Rescue said four people were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation treatment. United confirmed their flight attendants were injured. Two other passengers declined to be transported.
Flight attendants are trained for incidents like this. A retired pilot told NBC 7 flight attendants get annual safety training on how to deal with battery fires. United said their crew "acted quickly to contain the device and medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival at the gate."
"There is a special fire-proof bag, gloves and tongs that they use to contain the fire," Ken Stravers said. "The first [flight attendant] notifies the captain immediately and keeps him advised of the situation. The captain evaluates the situation and decides to declare an emergency with [air traffic control] and divert to a close airport or continue the flight if the situation is not under control."
SDFD Battalion Chief Robert Rezende, who was not one of the responders on this particular incident, said the real hazard is the toxic smoke these batteries emit, with the actual fire being the second-biggest threat.
Rezende added that the more charged a battery is, the more flammable it can be. He recommends flying with batteries charged at 30% or below.
The FAA prohibits lithium-ion batteries from being placed in checked bags but passengers are allowed to take them in their carry-on luggage.
"I just think we’ve gotta be real careful with these batteries," Jones said. "And you can’t put them in your luggage because if this happens underneath in the luggage compartment, everybody’s a goner."
