The Air China flight CA139, en route from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport to Incheon International Airport, faced a crisis mid-flight when a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage spontaneously combusted and caused a fire in the overhead bin.
Diversion to Shanghai
The Airbus A321 was prompted to make an emergency landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after it departed from Hangzhou at roughly 9:47 am local time.
The flight landed in Shanghai at 11:05 am, making an abrupt return to the mainland over the sea to ensure the safety of the passengers and the integrity of the aircraft.
The fire was caused by a power bank in a passenger’s carry-on stored in the overhead bin. Such storage of items like this can be dangerous due to the potential for compression and the lack of visibility when flying. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other authorities have emphasised the risks of lithium batteries, pushing stricter regulations and educating passengers to try and prevent any further dangers.
A statement made by the airline said:
The crew immediatley handled the situation according to procedures, and no one was injured.
Nevertheless, the unscheduled diversion to Shanghai was completely necessary to ensure flight safety.
A Fiery Blaze on Social Media
Video footage of the incident is circulating on social media, showing passengers getting their phones out to film the flames pouring out of the overhead bins, whilst a minority make flight attendants aware of the incident.
Such behaviour kept these passengers seated and allowed for flight crew to deal with the fire unimpeded by those on board.
Several videos are circulating on social media forums like Facebook, Instagram and Reddit.
This incident shows the risks of dismissing important flight rules and regulations. Although there were no injuries on this occasion. Be wary of the risks lithium batteries pose on flights.
