Southwest Airlines flight to Houston evacuated after cell phone fire, 2 injured
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2023/09/16: A Southwest Airlines plane taxis on the tarmac in preparation for takeoff at Orlando International Airport. Southwest Airlines said on Thursday it was better-prepared to handle upcoming winter weather due to the carrier's "big investments" in improving de-icing capacity and staffing. Southwest canceled thousands of flights in December 2022, the result of a massive winter storm. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (SOPA Images, © 2023 SOPA Images)
Two passengers were injured on a Southwest Airlines flight headed to Houston after a cell phone battery caught fire onboard Friday morning. That fire spread to one of the seats.
The plane was still parked at the gate at Denver International Airport when it happened around 7 a.m.
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All 108 passengers on Flight 3316 were evacuated. Passengers in the front half of the plane got out through the jet bridge, while those sitting in the back had to slide down emergency chutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Southwest Airlines confirmed that a minor injury was reported during the evacuation, and the phone owner is being treated for burns. The flight crew managed to extinguish the seat fire caused by the burning cell phone.
The airline will rebook passengers on another flight to Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport .
The FAA is investigating the incident to determine what caused the phone to overheat and ignite.
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