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Alaska Airlines Flight Returns to Wichita After Passenger’s Power Bank Catches Fire

FAA investigators are reviewing the cabin battery incident after crew used a fire extinguisher before sealing the device in a thermal bag.

Overview

  • Flight AS2117, a Horizon Air Embraer 175 from Wichita to Seattle, diverted shortly after takeoff and landed back in Wichita about 56 minutes after departure.
  • The crew extinguished the burning power bank and secured it in a thermal containment bag ahead of the emergency landing.
  • The aircraft declared a squawk 7700 to signal a general emergency soon after leaving Wichita.
  • One passenger was hospitalized with minor burns, and other travelers reached Seattle later on a replacement aircraft.
  • The FAA has opened an investigation, noting 472 lithium battery–related incidents on planes since 2006, nearly 200 involving battery packs.