PORTLAND- Hawaiian Airlines (HA) flight from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu to Portland International Airport (PDX) declared an emergency as an iPad caught fire onboard on September 19, 2024.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has shared these details in its Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents report.
Hawaiian Flight iPad Fire
According to the FAA, the Hawaiian Airlines flight HA26 cabin crew reported that one of the Apple iPads on the Airbus A330-operated flight caught fire and they contacted the flight crew.
FAA while sharing details stated that they have already provided to carry lithium-ion batteries and other electronic devices safely. It stated,
“Battery transportation safety is a priority for the FAA and we provide extensive resources for passengers. The FAA recommends that passengers keep cell phones and other devices nearby in the cabin to quickly access them 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 is overheating, expanding, smoking or burning.”
FAA
According to Flight Radar 24 data, the Hawaiian flight HA26 took off from Honolulu at 10:45 PM UTC. After being airborne for almost five hours, the flight landed safely at Portland at 3:52 AM UTC.
Airport officials reported an incident involving a smoking electronic device battery on an aircraft. The Port of Portland confirmed that emergency responders identified and contained the source of smoke, which was determined to be a battery from a personal electronic device.
After addressing the situation, emergency protocols were deactivated, and the airline resumed control of the aircraft. This information was communicated to KION 6 News via email by Allison Ferre, the Media Relations Manager for the Port of Portland.
The FAA has said that they will investigate the incident and will share more information.
The aircraft involved in the incident is an Airbus A330-200 registered as N382HA. Further, it is a 13 years and 9 months old aircraft.
Similar Incident
Fire-related incidents are due to engine fire and tire overheating but they are rare with electronic devices catching fire onboard.
Last year, United Airlines (UA) Flight 2664 experienced an unexpected mid-air emergency, forcing the aircraft to return to San Diego International Airport (SAN) shortly after takeoff.
The incident occurred when a passenger’s portable battery pack ignited in the cabin, approximately 10 minutes into the flight bound for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying an undisclosed number of passengers, had just begun its journey when crew members were alerted to the sudden fire outbreak.
Quick-thinking cabin crew members swiftly contained the blaze by placing the ignited battery pack into a specialized fire bag, averting a potentially catastrophic situation.
Sabrina LoPiccolo, a spokesperson for San Diego International Airport, confirmed the incident to NBC News. United Airlines later stated to CBS News, acknowledging that a battery pack had “ignited” during the flight.
Mónica Muñoz, representing the San Diego Fire Department, elaborated on the crew’s response in a statement to The New York Times. She praised the cabin crew’s prompt action in containing the fire, highlighting the effectiveness of the fire bag in preventing the situation from escalating.
But four people were injured in this incident and were taken to hospital upon landing in San Diego.
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