Phone Charger Fire Causes Flight Diversion
5 July 2019, 06:42
A fire on a flight from New York to London was forced to make an emergency landing in Boston after an external phone battery apparently caused a blaze.
Virgin Atlantic Flight 138 was travelling from John F Kennedy Airport to Heathrow.
An external phone charger appears to have caused the fire which forced the flight to make an emergency landing.
Massachusetts State Police's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit examined the aircraft after it landed and found a device between the cushions of a seat which had ignited.
"Preliminary investigation suggests it is a battery pack consistent in appearance with an external phone charger," a police spokesman said.
All 217 passengers and crew were safely evacuated after landing at Boston Logan International, under an hour after leaving New York.
Virgin Atlantic said it is "currently investigating" what led to smoke appearing in the cabin of Flight 138.
"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we are currently investigating to fully understand the circumstances," a company spokeswoman said.
"We'd like to thank our customers for their patience as we work with them to provide local accommodation or to rebook alternative flights to their final destination."
