Fire breaks out inside plane after passenger's vape overheats at O'Hare
CHICAGO - An American Airlines passenger’s electronic cigarette combusted Friday night, prompting a small fire shortly after the plane landed at O’Hare International Airport.
The e-cigarette’s battery overheated about 9 p.m. and caused a blaze onboard Flight 168 from Las Vegas that was stamped out by flight attendants, according to a statement from American Airlines spokeswoman Leslie Scott. No one was injured and the 138 passengers taxied to the gate afterward.
The incident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, which tracks thermal runaway occurrences such as vapes combusting.
“Our crews are trained on fighting high energy battery fires,” Scott said. “As part of safety management and risk mitigation, we always evaluate additional ways to enhance existing procedures to ensure cabin safety.”